Over the past few years, Bengaluru’s water crisis has been manifesting itself in multiple forms, from lakes spewing froth and bursting into flames to residential complexes almost entirely dependent on tanker trucks for water supply. Then came a recent report by the Centre for Science and Environment that the city was facing the same grim prospects as Cape Town in South Africa, which is counting down to the day it will have to turn off its taps to conserve water. There are many reasons why a city once renowned for its 280-odd interconnected lakes now faces a water crisis. This includes an explosion in its population, increase in built-up areas, wastage of water and pollution of its water resources. In its 2016 report, Water Situation in Bengaluru, the Centre for Ecological Sciences at the Indian Institute of Science pointed out that the city had sufficient water but achieving sustainability would depend on political will, a willingness to adopt decentralised models and citizens asserting their right to water. That may well be a work in progress. But true to its identity as a tech and startup hub, Bengaluru has seen a few companies, from startups to multinationals, come up with technology-led innovations to tackle the various aspects of the water crisis. Some of these are being supported by the Karnataka government, as part of its policy to help startups working to solve the water crisis, in the form of a competition titled Grand Challenge Call 6. While it would be specious to argue that any or all of these would be a magic bullet to the city’s growing water woes, these might point the way forward for a city fast running out of alternatives. SmarterHomes: Tracking Every Drop This is how much my sevenyear-old’s long bath has cost me this morning,” Vivek Shukla, says with a smile, pointing to the data displayed on his startup’s app, WaterOn, on his mobile phone. The app is one part of the startup, SmarterHomes, which uses internet of things to help users track exactly how much water each household is consuming, using a smart water meter. This solution was a response to one aspect of Bengaluru’s worsening water crisis: apartment complexes buying water through tankers, but not being able to track its use. Shukla and Kasturi Rangan, the cofounder, were colleagues at Wipro EcoEnergy and neighbours. They realised their apartment society was struggling with uneven water supply. “Everyone had to pay a flat fee of Rs 2,100 a month and people were complaining about that,” says Shukla.