Given the conditions, it's hard to envisage brighter times ahead because Bengaluru's population is expected to shoot up to 20.3 million by 2031, which would once again throw the supply and demand gap for water off the balance.

While it is true that industrialisation is the primary cause of pollution, it is also true that religious and cultural ideals have not effectively promoted the concept and practice of revitalising the Ganga.

Beyond statistics and technology, there is a larger need to comprehend water problems and examine the entire situation from a humanitarian angle.

In a society where access to water resources is already deeply unequal, introducing water trading could make matters worse.