Water Crisis : A Plethora of Opportunity for Startups Lies Here!

Karnataka and Tamil Nadu are stuck in a tussle for ownership of the Cauvery River, what lies in this battle of states is the opportunity for technology intervention.

Karnataka’s capital — almost entirely dependent on the river — wastes half the water it receives, according to an IndiaSpend analysis of water-use data.Hence the plethora of startups that exist in India, have an opportunity to jump into this situation and come up with ideas that can help conserve water.

Intelligent metering

Kasturi Rangan, Chief Technology Officer, SmarterHomes Technologies said that with more than 50 million apartments globally needing a metering solution, this is a prime opportunity where technology can make an impact. “Intelligent Metering solution such as WaterOn engages with the user by showing them real time consumption rather than just sending a bill once a quarter. It also has the ability to detect and control leaks saving more than 20% of water wastage in a home. Our real time data proves that communities that have implemented sub metering have reduced their overall water consumption by 35%. The impact can be big enough to ensure that a lot more people around the world can get access to fresh water and stop fights over it. A drop saved by each person is a life saved somewhere on the earth,” he said

Smart agritech solutions

The need of effective methods is a dire need of the hour. Since a significant amount of water of the Cauvery river is used by farmers for cultivation, there exists an opportunity to introduce newer methods of agriculture and water usage mechanisms. Startups could also act as a solution provider for these technologies in collaboration with government associations.

Some of the most effective methods of irrigation that minimizes water usage include dry farming, organic farming, drip irrigation, laser levelling and more.

Startups like FlybirdInnovations, Sea6 Energy, Airwood Aerostructures, Rainstock, Kheyti are some of the startups that are catering into this space.

And last, but definitely not the least …. Government rules

Karnataka as a state should impose stricter water conservation and rain water harvesting rules.