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<ul class="summary-list"><li>Russian troops in Ukraine are likely facing water shortages, the UK's Ministry of Defence has said.</li><li>It likely comes as the result of Russian strikes on utility infrastructure, the MoD said.</li></ul>Russian troops fighting in Ukraine are likely facing water shortages, with some turning to "stagnant puddles" to get water, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://x.com/DefenceHQ/status/1823273344818376738">the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) said in an update on the conflict</a>."Damage inflicted during ongoing Russian strikes against utilities infrastructure is now almost certainly curtailing water supply," the MoD said in an update on the conflict, adding that any issues had been "exacerbated by a period of above average temperature in the region."In response, Russian forces have resorted to makeshift water filtration techniques, using "stagnant puddles for daily water requirements," per the MoD, which adds that this has "highly likely led to an increase of waterborne diseases amongst Russian soldiers.""This shortage of water leading to dehydration and increased risk of infection, will almost certainly impact morale and operational effectiveness," it adds.The MoD also referenced the account of a pro-Russian military blogger who said that Russian pilots had been limited to one liter of water a day.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/mining%5C/UserFiles/works/pdfs/2017-126.pdf">recommends</a> people working in high temperatures drink one cup of water every 15 to 20 minutes — around three-quarters to one quart (almost one liter) per hour.Ukraine has experienced record-breaking temperatures this summer.On July 16, Kyiv hit 36 degrees Celsius (96.8 degrees Fahrenheit), the highest temperature on record for that date, according to the Borys Sreznevsky Central Geophysical Observatory.The high temperatures have led to electricity cuts and negatively impacted grain and oilseed crops, per <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukraine-set-rain-after-record-breaking-heatwave-forecaster-says-2024-07-17/">Reuters</a>.

Russian troops likely facing water shortages in Ukraine, with some now drinking from 'stagnant puddles': UK intel     

Thailand’s geographical proximity and affordability, along with its platter of delectable food, historical sites, pristine beaches and lively atmosphere, holds a particular appeal for Indian travellers. While tourists from India were forced to limit their travels to the Island country to a 15-day stay under a visa-on-arrival scheme until recently, the Thailand government is now extending its arms wider for us. Thailand's tourism sector has been strategically easing <keyword id="20166202" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="visa-regulations" source="keywords">visa regulations</keyword> to attract visitors from key markets like China and Russia. And now, the country has extended its visa exemption program, allowing visitors from these countries to vacation visa-free for up to 30 days until November 11, 2024. This move aims to revitalise its tourism industry, a key driver of the nation's economy. This is no doubt great news for those wanting to spend more time in the bustling city of Bangkok or immerse themselves in the rich culture and calm of its gorgeous temples. However, there are some rather glaring problems that Thailand is facing, thanks to climate change and the <keyword id="21610692" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="El-Nio-event" source="keywords">El Niño event</keyword> — that impacted India as well. <h4>Water shortage hits <keyword id="21610693" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Phi-Phi-islands" source="keywords">Phi Phi islands</keyword> </h4> For instance, the idyllic islands of Koh Phi Phi, which attract many Indians every year, are facing a real-life challenge that's anything but relaxing — a severe water shortage after a scorching heatwave gripped Asia. The private company supplying water may have to cut off service entirely, according to Wichupan Phukaoluan Srisanya, president of the Krabi Hotel Association. Island authorities are scrambling for solutions, considering bringing in water from the mainland if the dry spell persists. However, they remain optimistic that the upcoming wet season in May will bring relief, and Wichupan insists that tourists planning trips shouldn't be deterred, claiming they can manage the situation. But whispers of trouble are already reaching potential visitors. Online forums and travel reviews are buzzing with warnings from returning tourists urging others to "check if their accommodation has fresh water" before booking. Some reports even detail tap water running dry in April. While Koh Phi Phi takes centre stage, the heatwave's impact isn't isolated. <keyword id="21563893" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="koh-samui" source="keywords">Koh Samui</keyword>, another popular Thai island, has also experienced dry and scorching conditions. Although the tourism board there assures visitors haven't been affected, the island reportedly relies on water trucks, significantly increasing operational costs for hotels. <h4>Island closure due to coral bleaching </h4> A popular island in southern Thailand, <keyword id="21605630" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Pling-Island" source="keywords">Pling Island</keyword>, has been hit with a temporary closure due to extensive coral bleaching. This drastic measure by the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) highlights the growing threat climate change poses to our underwater wonders. Pling Island recently witnessed intense heatwaves along with many other islands across Thailand and Asia. Due to ocean warming and acidification, corals expel the algae living within them, leaving them pale and vulnerable — a process referred to as coral bleaching. Thailand’s pristine beaches and vibrant coral reefs are a major draw for visitors, generating millions in revenue. However, unregulated tourism also puts a strain on these delicate ecosystems. Thailand's proactive approach in closing Pling Island demonstrates a commitment to striking a balance between economic prosperity and environmental sustainability. While natural phenomena like El Niño contribute to warmer temperatures, scientists point to human-induced climate change as the bigger culprit. Warmer oceans are the new normal, with Asia experiencing a faster-than-average rise in temperatures. Pling Island's closure and Phi Phi’s water crisis serve as a stark reminder of that every system has a carrying capacity and we must honour it. It sends the powerful message that even paradise needs a break once in a while to ensure its future remains dazzling. While the tourism-reliant industry of Thailand could greatly benefit from more visitors, mindful travel would help secure the future of the countrymen.

Thailand is now welcoming Indians with open arms, but are its drought-hit islands really prepared for a tourism influx?

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Nevada is facing skyrocketing housing costs.</li><li>Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve says city leaders should cut regulations that stymie construction.</li></ul>The mayor of Reno, Nevada, argues that the single best thing city leaders can do to help solve one of the country's worst housing shortages is to loosen regulations on housing construction.In recent years, Mayor Hillary Schieve has launched a multi-pronged approach to do just that."Sometimes government needs to get out of the way," she told Business Insider in a recent interview. There's no quick solution, said Schieve, who isn't a member of either major party and has made housing and homelessness a top priority.With the election approaching, Nevada voters <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/16/business/economy/nevada-economy-unemployment-election.html">cite the economy</a> as among their top concerns. Rising home prices and rents, which have hit the Sunbelt state particularly hard, are a big part of that. Since January 2017, home prices have risen 90% and rents are up 53% in Nevada, far outstripping national growth rates, Alex Horowitz, the director of Pew's housing-policy project, told Business Insider.<h2 id="401ef500-7df2-405a-b9eb-f7ead571dd5b">Greasing the wheels for housing</h2>Nevada had one of the highest rates of home foreclosures in the country after the 2008 financial crisis slammed <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://knpr.org/show/knprs-state-of-nevada/2018-09-10/its-been-a-decade-since-nevada-fell-into-an-economic-abyss">its tourism-reliant economy</a> and burst its severe housing bubble. In the years since, the state has leveraged low taxes and other business-friendly policies to attract major employers like Amazon, Apple, and Tesla. The new jobs have helped attract hundreds of thousands of new residents.The pandemic and the rise of remote work supercharged that trend. With an <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.reviewjournal.com/business/housing/how-many-californians-have-moved-to-nevada-since-2020-3032074/">influx of new residents</a>, demand for housing — and subsequently its cost — has soared. In Reno, the median price of a single-family home has increased <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.washoecounty.gov/assessor/real_property/SalesHistoryChart.php">more than 40% since 2019</a>.As mayor, Schieve has celebrated the new jobs and the growth of arts and culture in Reno and its surroundings. But she's also concerned with the housing shortage and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.rgj.com/story/news/local/2024/05/07/homeless-population-washoe-county/73605507007/">rising homelessness</a>. When it comes to boosting affordable housing, she pointed to cutting red tape and making building easier, including by loosening zoning laws and burdensome environmental regulations.Under Schieve, Reno has loosened some of its regulations by allowing for more density, reducing parking requirements, and cutting fees. Since 2019, the city says it has waived $11 million in sewer hookup fees and $700,00 in building permit fees to help bring more than 2,000 units of affordable housing to the market.Through a program called "1,000 homes in 120 days," the city deferred sewer and permit fees for five years for market-rate housing construction, which the city says helped create more than 500 new homes between its implementation in late 2019 and earlier this year.Schieve, the former chairwoman of the US Conference of Mayors, said Reno's rules regarding affordable housing construction are relatively lenient. However, she argued that some county and state regulations slow down home building, inflating costs and deterring new construction.She took particular issue with county health department regulations that impose lengthy review processes. "Most developers are borrowing money," she said. "So time is money." Schieve's chief of staff noted that swimming pool construction, including in housing developments and hotels, "takes an incredible amount of time and an incredible amount of money" to get approved by the department.Reno has also made some progress on emergency and transitional housing. Schieve received <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.wsj.com/us-news/reno-nevada-homelessness-solution-674cee2d">national attention</a> for reducing the number of unhoused people living on Reno's streets by nearly 60% between 2022 and 2023. The reduction was largely due to the construction of a Nevada Cares Campus, an emergency shelter that can house up to 600 people in sleeping pods and a large tent.<h2 id="b9ff010c-649b-4677-a22b-3b02162f6584">Nevada's housing issues take center stage in the presidential election</h2>President Joe Biden has visited Nevada multiple times <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://nevadacurrent.com/2024/03/19/in-las-vegas-campaign-stop-biden-details-plans-to-make-housing-more-affordable/">to talk about housing</a>, and his administration's policies have <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://mynews4.com/news/local/reno-receiving-35-million-in-federal-funds-to-tackle-affordable-housing-and-homelessness">helped bolster</a> the state's housing efforts.Schieve called the housing funding Reno received through the 2021 American Rescue Plan a "godsend." And she praised the Biden administration for being accessible and responsive to her city's housing needs. "We can pick up the phone and I can call my HUD secretary, I can call someone at the White House," Schieve said. The acting HUD secretary, Adrianne Todman, has visited Reno twice in the last year.Former President Donald Trump's campaign has also emphasized housing issues in Nevada, focusing largely on its proposal to deport millions of immigrants to free up housing. "We've got to build more houses and we've got to deport the illegal aliens so that American homes go to American citizens," vice presidential candidate JD Vance <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pPCCh_t4h8">told a crowd in Las Vegas in October</a>.Schieve dismissed this proposal. "We've got to be realistic about how we approach housing," she said. "That's not going to solve anything."There are aspects of housing policy that Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris appear to agree on, including <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/homes-free-government-land-real-estate-housing-prices-harris-trump-2024-8">opening up federal land for additional homes</a>. Nevada has become a focus of this particular solution as 85% of the state's land area is owned by the federal government.Schieve says the issue of opening up government-owned land is complex. It depends on factors like the cost of new infrastructure, including roads and water hookups, the expansion of services like law enforcement, and environmental concerns. She supports restricting home construction in environmentally fragile areas, including wetlands and flood-prone regions.In general, she wants to see cities like Reno invest in rebuilding their urban cores and boosting density rather than sprawl."There's still a lot of blight," she said. "There's still a lot of work for cities to build up and not out."

A Nevada mayor is battling one of the worst housing shortages in the US. Her solution: looser construction regulation.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Electricity and labor headwinds slow Amazon's data center buildout.</li><li>The company's predicament highlights challenges faced by the broader cloud industry.</li></ul><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-big-tech-cash-king-wall-street-wants-a-piece-2024-10">Amazon</a> is spending heavily on <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ai-data-energy-centers-water-energy-land-2023-10">data centers</a> to support booming <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-ai-sales-machine-aws-google-microsoft-pressure-pay-speed-2024-9">AI</a> workloads, putting it on pace to build 240 new facilities by 2040, according to one estimate.These plans are increasingly running into physical constraints that are slowing the buildout, according to an internal document, people familiar with the matter, and emails obtained through a public-records request."Across the AMER region, we are experiencing headwinds in power, zoning and permitting, water, and workforce/labor that are providing challenges to our long-term capacity growth," the internal document stated, referring to the Americas market, Amazon's largest.As the biggest cloud provider, Amazon's predicament highlights broader <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ai-data-energy-centers-water-energy-land-2023-10">problems</a> facing the tech industry as generative <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-ai-sales-machine-aws-google-microsoft-pressure-pay-speed-2024-9">AI</a> upends the status quo. While more companies want access to cloud computing for AI initiatives, there's only so much power, water, and labor available to support these services.It's not just an Amazon problem. Sequoia Capital general partner David Cahn recently predicted data center delays across the sector."The need for more power and a better functioning grid was clear before AI," he wrote in a blog post. "Now, it is becoming urgent."<h2 id="4e19455f-0a20-458d-a775-e305cc9aed23">Energy demand is growing</h2>It may be natural for a company like Amazon, one of the largest and fastest-growing data center operators, to face these challenges when it is expanding at breakneck speed.Marc Wulfraat, president of consulting firm MWPVL, told BI that Amazon is probably rolling out even more than 240 data centers in coming years. That's because the cloud giant also leases space in buildings shared with other companies. Collectively, this building spree amounts to almost 75 million gross square feet of space, according to his estimates. That's the equivalent of roughly 27 Empire State Buildings.In an email to BI, Amazon's spokesperson said customers' energy demand "continues to grow," and the company is continuously working on ways to "efficiently build and operate data centers" to meet their needs."Nobody knows better than we do that building data centers is exceptionally complex, and by embracing that challenge, we've become really good at it over the years," the spokesperson added. "We're confident we can continue to build at a rapid pace to provide the cloud capacity our customers will need."<h2 id="3ffef594-735b-4945-a7b0-176832400209">Doubts about electricity supply</h2>Power might be the most scarce resource. US data center electricity consumption is forecast to triple by 2030, according to <a target="_blank" rel=" nofollow" href="https://www.linkedin.com/posts/bcg-on-energy_the-impact-of-genai-in-electricity-activity-7112787574032674816-uDEX/">Boston Consulting Group</a>, much of it to power generative AI. Bernstein Research recently <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ai-data-centers-us-power-grid-gpu-nvidia-cerebras-amazon-2024-7">estimated</a> that electricity demand for AI data centers could exceed supply in just two years without action.At Amazon, electricity shortages have been a major concern and a topic of almost every leadership meeting in recent years, according to the people familiar with the matter.Amazon is experiencing power-supply issues in Oregon, Ohio, and Northern Virginia, according to the internal document from May. For example, it noted that PacifiCorp, Amazon's Portland-based utility partner, has electricity shortfalls and generation constraints forecasted until 2030.This is leaving Amazon with unpredictable energy supply in some markets and a possible loss of "bridging" solutions that help maintain power during the early stages of construction."With the utility power headwind, we are seeing continued risk driven by transmission constraints as well as unexpected changes to committed/available generation, gaps in promised vs delivered incremental power, and potential loss of bridging power as utility infrastructure projects are delayed," the document explained.<h2 id="e085ef5b-5190-4456-935c-6cab05b23795">'Zombie' data centers</h2>In some markets, so-called "zombie" data centers exist. That's a term used by some Amazon employees who spoke with Business Insider about the electricity-supply problems.These facilities are also described internally as "operationally blocked" because the data centers can sometimes sit idle as they don't have access to enough power to run them, according to the people familiar with the matter.Amazon's spokesperson told BI the company is not familiar with these terms, but said there are a "very small number of cases" where the company decides to complete data center construction before building power is available. "These situations are all managed as part of the standard course of business," the spokesperson added.<div type="image" title="AWS CEO Matt Garman" height="4320" width="6751" msid="114502575" hostid="261" sizebytes="742626"></div>Amazon Web Services CEO Matt Garman recently spoke publicly about challenges related to AI data center buildouts, including accessing enough GPUs and power.During a podcast interview in August, he said customer demand is "mind boggling," which is requiring "a lot of investment.""We're probably going to be tight for the next little bit of time," Garman added.<h2 id="d47a3f17-b6c1-4c0c-91d9-5918b3a4761f">'Mosquitoes to light'</h2>The company is on the hunt for more energy. It's conducting "power studies" with utility partners to evaluate additional transmission capacity, which could result in more power allocation, according to the internal document.The company is also working on ways to reclaim stranded and retired power, the document said, likely in reference to the practice of redeveloping old power plants that have become inactive for economic or sustainability reasons.Amazon has been more actively seeking partnership opportunities with third-party colocation data center providers, one of the people said. At these facilities, Amazon would simply lease space, transferring the need to secure power to the data centers' owners.Additionally, Amazon has started looking beyond well-established data center markets, such as Northern Virginia and Arizona, and is expanding into newer regions like Indiana. Crowded data center regions are running out of power and other resources, making newer locations <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ai-data-centers-energy-cloud-microsoft-chatpgt-amazon-google-2023-7">more appealing</a>.The company is also more aggressively pursuing alternative energy sources. Last week, Amazon <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-invests-in-nuclear-for-aws-following-google-and-microsoft-2024-10">unveiled</a> a plan to lead a $500 million funding round to develop small modular nuclear reactors, following an earlier announcement to purchase a nuclear power plant in rural Pennsylvania."It's almost like mosquitoes to light — we are attracted to power," one of the people familiar told BI.Amazon's spokesperson said the company's data center expansion strategy considers several factors, including system resiliency and latency, the availability of renewable energy, and the local government's long-term commitment. Amazon is also constantly seeking ways to make its data centers more energy efficient by using carbon-free resources, in-house processors, and natural air cooling systems, the spokesperson said.<h2 id="82c2fbef-48d1-4af8-8635-cf74ee12697d">Higher costs in Silicon Valley</h2>In some cases, Amazon is paying higher prices to get its new data centers up and running.One example is an Amazon facility in Santa Clara, California, in the heart of Silicon Valley. For the last 2 years, Amazon has held talks with the city of Santa Clara to secure power for a new data center located near Levi's Stadium, the home of the San Francisco 49ers, according to a <a target="_blank" href="https://santaclara.granicus.com/player/clip/2140?view_id=1&amp;meta_id=190407&amp;redirect=true">city council meeting</a> held in July.Amazon is in talks for a 15-year, 20-megawatt proposal for this facility under the condition that the company pays the full cost of the energy, whether it uses the power or not, Manuel Pineda, the chief electric utility officer of the City of Santa Clara, said during the meeting. Amazon will have to pay up to 50% higher rates than normal and will be entitled to additional "financial assurances" to cover any contractual risks, Pineda added.As part of the deal, Amazon also plans to use the 20-megawatt power agreement for a second building on-site, which currently has no electric capacity, according to Pineda.Amazon's spokesperson told BI that this arrangement has not been finalized, and the project is progressing as expected.<div type="image" title="AWS Santa Clara data center planning slide" height="586" width="1056" msid="114502585" hostid="261" sizebytes="101810"></div><h2 id="5e7acce5-2a9c-4e0c-873a-74b683e1b0a3">Amazon escalates Santa Clara delays</h2>Amazon appears to be dealing with further delays in Santa Clara. On August 28, an AWS employee wrote to a city official about another facility, a former Owens Corning factory the company purchased in 2023. The email discussed delays at the site and noted that the problems are raising concerns internally at Amazon."Delays as significant as this unfortunately impact our ability to serve our customers which has resulted in escalation," said the email, which was obtained by BI through a public-records request.The next day, another Amazon employee wrote to a Santa Clara city official. "This is time sensitive," the staffer said. "AWS executives are highly concerned about the constant push in the results."<h2 id="a5ae3cc3-4484-42c7-a232-b1135b2bd3e0">'Straining' water infrastructure</h2>Another problem is water supply. A growing number of data centers rely on water instead of air to cool the servers and other equipment inside the facilities. This liquid-cooling technology <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/arizona-running-out-of-water-data-centers-blame-microsoft-google-2023-6">requires a lot of water</a>.Amazon is "straining local jurisdictions' existing infrastructure" for water in some regions and is "dependent on long-term infrastructure upgrades or building our own solutions" to mitigate the issue, the internal document stated.There are zoning and permitting problems, too. Some local jurisdictions are not supporting the re-zoning of industrial property for data center use and have stricter environmental regulations, the document explained. Amazon is "working proactively" with local municipalities to solve these challenges, as they can impact its "future capacity options," the document added.Amazon is "one of the world's most water efficient operators" and its data centers are much more water efficient than the industry average, the company's spokesperson told BI.<h2 id="74b62895-25bd-411f-8890-035613989c55">'Lack of available skilled labor'</h2>An even bigger problem may be a lack of skilled electricians to build and run these data centers, according to the internal document and people directly involved in these Amazon projects.Electrical work is a major part of data center construction. But Amazon has struggled to find enough people to do the jobs, especially in rural areas, these people said. Amazon has talked to local colleges, general contractors, and labor unions in certain markets to increase the supply of electricians, one of the people said.<div type="image" title="amazon data center oregon" height="3072" width="4608" msid="114502582" hostid="261" sizebytes="883326"></div>A <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cnbc.com/2024/07/27/americas-demand-skilled-electricians-boom.html">shortage of skilled electricians</a> is a growing industry problem. According to last year's <a target="_blank" href="https://datacenter.uptimeinstitute.com/rs/711-RIA-145/images/2023StaffingSurvey.Report.12152023.pdf">Uptime Institute Data Center Staffing Survey</a>, more than half of respondents said they struggled to fill open positions due to demand outstripping supply."For workforce/labor, we are seeing a lack of available skilled labor," Amazon's internal document stated. "Which requires us to prioritize where we allocate these resources, and we are becoming increasingly reliant on more expensive travelling [primarily] electricians."Amazon's spokesperson shared <a target="_blank" href="https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/workplace/our-upskilling-2025-programs">blog posts</a> detailing its <a target="_blank" href="https://aws.amazon.com/government-education/workforce-development/aws-fiber-optic-fusion-splicing/">training programs</a> in this space, adding, "AWS has established a number of workforce development programs and collaborations with education institutions to help ensure a strong pipeline of talent."Do you work at Amazon? Got a tip?Contact the reporter, Eugene Kim, via the encrypted-messaging apps Signal or Telegram (<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" class="c-link">+1-650-942-3061</a>) or email (<a target="_blank" href="mailto:ekim@businessinsider.com">ekim@businessinsider.com</a>). Reach out using a nonwork device. Check out Business Insider's <a target="_blank" rel="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/insider-guide-to-securely-sharing-whistleblower-information-about-powerful-institutions-2021-10">source guide</a> for other tips on sharing information securely.

Amazon's AI data center dream runs into the reality of 'zombie' facilities, higher costs, and labor shortages 

If you step out into <keyword id="19895037" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="bengaluru" source="keywords">Bengaluru</keyword> traffic these days, there’s a good chance you’ll discover a bulky water tanker spearheading the all-too-familiar clog in traffic. Amidst the ongoing <keyword id="6355836" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="water-crisis" source="Orion">water crisis</keyword>, India’s Silicon City has mobilised thousands of tankers that zip, almost heroically, across the city, rescuing parched residences from the metro’s urban planning crisis. Bidding to reduce their reliance on the exorb<keyword id="6354185" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="it" source="Orion">it</keyword>ant tankers — a necessary step after the exhaustion of half the city’s groundwater-fed borewells — many residential societies have begun innovating water-saving techniques, with varying degrees of success. However, for the several businesses and industries littering the metropolitan town, it seems like dark days are looming. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="IT in turmoil" comment="subhead" text="IT in turmoil">IT in turmoil</cmsannotation> Hosting over 1,400 tech companies that employ tens of lakhs of employees, Bengaluru has certainly earned its title as India’s ‘Silicon Valley’. Not only has this driven a rapid boom in economic, infrastructural and industrial development, the city has acted as a magnet for people looking for attractive employment opportunities. Unfortunately, this success has also resulted in <a href="https://bpac.in/bangalore-population-growth-consequences-and-possible-solutions/" data-type="tilCustomLink">population levels haphazardly spiking</a> from 2,900 people per square kilometre in 2001 to 4,300 within a single decade. Estimates suggest that this figure may have breached 8,000 by now! In addition to deterring water-cooler conversations, the lack of water in their workplaces have led to several companies already urging employees to work from home. Echoing a growing sentiment among the city’s techies, <a href="https://m.economictimes.com/news/india/it-companies-in-bengaluru-urged-to-give-15-lakh-employees-wfh-option-as-city-grapples-with-water-crisis/articleshow/108761390.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">ex-Chief Justice K Sreedhar Rao also pleaded</a> for temporary remote arrangements for migrant IT workers to depopulate Bengaluru till the water crisis is dealt with. However, many such multinational employees have already begun to preemptively take matters into their own hands by temporarily or permanently moving to other cities, such as the nearby Mysuru. Needless to say, this has disrupted operations for many companies, including some of the top IT firms in Bengaluru. In a surprising turn of tragic events, senior personnel at <keyword id="19969515" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="dell" source="keywords">Dell</keyword> have begun skipping meetings to prioritise their procurement of water, reported the Deccan Herald. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Real estate rates to fall; restaurants forced to adapt" comment="subhead" text="Real estate rates to fall; restaurants forced to adapt"><keyword id="6354553" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="real-estate" source="Orion">Real estate</keyword> rates to fall; restaurants forced to adapt</cmsannotation> With pleasant weather the year round, Bengaluru has proven itself time and again as an excellent place to settle down and relax. The city’s diverse population is a testament to its uncanny ability to draw people from all over India, even before the city’s notable IT boom. Real estate has now hit an all-time high, with high demand and attractive financial options helping the sector grow exponentially in the past few decades, reportedly recording a staggering nine-year-high 54,000 housing units sold in 2023. However, the city’s recent water woes have left potential property investors second-guessing. According to a recent Deccan Herald poll, around 60% of the respondents noted that they have postponed their move to Bengaluru due to the ongoing shortage, while a similar number of people have also begun evaluating investment options in other cities. Homebuyers have also begun to diligently inquire into <keyword id="55273" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="groundwater" source="Orion">groundwater</keyword> borewell depths and water-saving technologies when consulting developers. While <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/business/bengaluru-water-crisis-alarms-property-investors-dh-poll-2930539" data-type="tilCustomLink">many contractors remain firm</a> that these reactions are not representative of a long-term trend, some experts have predicted that a fall in property prices may become inevitable. A <a href="https://www.republicworld.com/business/real-estate/bengaluru-water-crisis-property-prices-in-peenya-hsr-layout-marathahalli-to-fall-15-say-experts/" data-type="tilCustomLink">Republic report</a> explains that house rates could fall up to 10-15% in the most water-stressed regions of East and Central Bengaluru, including HSR Layout, Marathahalli, Rajaji Nagar and Peenya. Needless to say, the crisis has also taken a toll on Bengaluru’s various hotels and eateries, many of which are severely dependent on tanker water for cooking, cleaning and drinking purposes. Krishna Raj, owner of the popular <keyword id="21126683" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="nisarg-grand-hotel" source="keywords">Nisarg Grand Hotel</keyword>, <a href="https://www.livemint.com/news/india/bengaluru-water-crisis-news-hotels-disposable-utensils-shortage-lok-sabha-polls-karnataka-dk-shivakumar-congress-bjp-11710055127680.html" data-type="tilCustomLink">explained</a> that they might have to begin serving food in disposable utensils if the trend continues into the summer months. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Industrial district parched" comment="subhead" text="Industrial district parched">Industrial district parched</cmsannotation> Located in Northwest Bengaluru, Peenya is home to thousands of industries of varying sizes, producing a host of electronics, textiles, packaging, machines and other consumer items. However, being one of the largest industrial areas in Asia hasn’t protected its businesses from the ongoing crisis. In an <a href="https://www.business-standard.com/industry/news/bengaluru-water-crisis-to-impact-local-industries-in-coming-weeks-experts-124030601026_1.html" data-type="tilCustomLink">interview with Business Standard</a>, <keyword id="21126682" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="peenya-industries-association" source="keywords">Peenya Industries Association</keyword> President H. M. Arif explained that the area’s micro-industries are strained to the point that many could be forced to close soon if the water crisis continues unmitigated. Many such sectors have also become hopelessly reliant on tanker water, and the associated rising costs have begun to bottleneck the manufacturing process. Prices of several commercial products could go up soon if this trend continues. “Many from the hosiery or garment sector need water for processing,” Arif explains. “You need water for workers as well as other needs. The government is saying it will source recycled water for the industry. But for that, there is a tendering process and at this rate, we will not get water this season.” <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Solutions and cautious optimism" comment="subhead" text="Solutions and cautious optimism">Solutions and cautious optimism</cmsannotation> This is not to say that the government isn’t taking measures to tackle the crisis. After ordaining centralised control over water tankers and actively regulating prices to ensure the city’s water isn’t hoarded solely by the rich, officials also placed bans on recreational water use. In addition, initiatives are underway to “inject” 1,300 million litres of purified water into the city’s drying lakes per day, which the officials allege will help restore local groundwater levels. <keyword id="19927086" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bwssb" source="keywords">BWSSB</keyword> has also announced plans to build an array of next-gen water treatment plants near restored lake beds to purify and deliver water wherever required. Addressing the harsh summers ahead, Karnataka government officials have expressed optimism that the completion of the Cauvery Five — a massive array of treatment plants that will treat sewage to produce 100 million litres of water a day — will help make up for any deficits by July. Meanwhile, many large corporations, including Microsoft, have begun utilising water-saving tap aerators to control water flow in the Bagmane Business Park offices. The city’s water board, the BWSSB, has also launched four mobile apps to help tackle the city’s water crisis. Attempting to bridge a gap between the water department and the citizens it serves, these apps will help residents book water online, apply for borewell permissions, report water misuse and more. At 24% of its total capacity, reservoirs across Karnataka are also drying up. Despite growing shortages, the state government has assured that the Cauvery River reservoir that supplies water to Bengaluru holds sufficient water levels to last at least until June. After that, the pre-monsoon and monsoon rains are expected to replenish the water resources. However, the supply remains much lower compared to the demand, and the only way to survive this summer could be to adopt drastic water-saving measures and a few good spells of pre-monsoon showers.

Water crisis affects businesses across Bengaluru; Is there room for cautious optimism?

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The largest desalination plant in the US is in San Diego.</li><li>Experts have said the huge costs and ecological risks mean these plants might not work nationwide.</li></ul>In the early 1990s, San Diego was dying on the vine, starved of water in a series of yearslong <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/climate-fueled-droughts-unearthing-unexpected-discoveries-2022-7">droughts</a>.The county, which relied almost entirely on imported water, had to cut back on 30% of its usage and was at risk of <a href="https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-03-05-mn-67-story.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">losing 50%</a>. At the last minute, <a href="https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-03-30-mn-722-story.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a miracle</a> saved San Diego — <a href="https://www.insider.com/California-weather-whiplash-floods-drought-getting-worse-atmospheric-rivers-2023-1">rain and snow in the desert</a> replenished aquifers, saving the city from intense cutbacks.But the water didn't extinguish the passion of San Diegans, who after finding themselves in this situation, rallied together to find a way to become more self-sufficient, Jeremy Crutchfield, the water-resources manager at the San Diego County Water Authority, told Insider.Enter the Claude "Bud" Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant. It would become the largest facility for turning salt water into fresh water in the United States. Now, about <a href="https://www.carlsbaddesal.com/faqs.html#:~:text=The%20Plant%20produces%2050%20million,San%20Diego%20County's%20water%20supply." target="_blank" rel="noopener">10% of the county's water</a> comes from that plant.It's not the only way that San Diegans get their water, but it's another tool in their kit to make sure drought would never threaten them again, Crutchfield said. "We've proven here in San Diego that it works," he said. But San Diego got lucky. Water access is threatened across the US, from a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/california-western-states-disagree-colorado-river-cuts-proposal-borrowed-water-2023-2">six-way tug-of-war</a> on the fraying rope that is the Colorado River's water supply, to engineers' <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mississippi-river-dangerously-low-second-year-in-row-army-dredging-2023-9">24/7 efforts to prevent</a> salt water from seeping up the Mississippi River.But for other cities, desalination might not be the answer.<h2>What is desalination, and how is San Diego using it?</h2><div type="image" title="Located in San Diego County, CA, at the Encina Power Station, The Claude &quot;Bud&quot; Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant is the largest salt water desalination plant in the Western Hemisphere and provides 50 million gallons of desalinated seawater per day." height="2965" width="5930" msid="104779170" hostid="261" sizebytes="793966"></div>Desalination works by taking salty water and running it through a series of increasingly fine strainers to remove debris. It's then pushed through a membrane with tiny holes that capture the salt while fresh water flows through.The holes in the membrane are about<a href="https://ixwater.com/the-viability-of-desalination" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> 0.1 micrometer in diameter</a> —<a href="https://www.nano.gov/nanotech-101/what/nano-size" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> 1,000 times thinner</a> than a sheet of paper.Just to push the water through such a small membrane, you need "a heck of a lot of electricity," Robert Glennon, a professor emeritus at the University of Arizona and the author of "Unquenchable: America's Water Crisis and What to Do About It," told Insider.All that electricity <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/electric-cars-grid-utility-bills-electricity-rates-cheaper-for-everyone-2022-12">costs a lot of money</a>.Each day, the plant generates 50 million gallons of fresh water for San Diego County, which over the course of a year amounts to between an estimated $49 million and $54 million in operations costs, a 2017 article in <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887324049504578545661598973132" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Wall Street Journal</a> said.The water-treatment facility in Orange County, California, which purifies highly treated sewer water into drinking water and serves a similar-sized population, costs about the same — $50 million — to operate each year. Except it generates about 3 ½ times more water than Carlsbad, meeting about <a href="https://www.ocwd.com/gwrs/frequently-asked-questions/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">35%</a> of Orange County's water demands.Both plants cost between around $900 million to $1 billion to build.All together, desalination costs more money than most local governments are willing or able to spend on their own, Frank Ward, a professor of resource and welfare economics who studies water policy at New Mexico State University, told Insider.Ward said, "the grim specter of costs that always comes to bite us in the rear, doesn't it?"<h2>But when stars align </h2><h2><div type="image" title="A diagram explaining that desalination works by taking ocean water, running it through a filter, then using reverse osmosis to produce fresh water and waste." height="3839" width="4300" msid="104779172" hostid="261" sizebytes="182828"></div></h2>On its own, San Diego County probably wouldn't have had the funds to get the Carlsbad plant up and running, Crutchfield said.But there was enough public interest in water resources in the area at the time to get the attention of a private player — Poseidon Water LLC.In 1998, Poseidon agreed to front the funding, permitting, designing, constructing, and early operating costs, using company funds and<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/municipal-bonds"> public-activity bonds</a>. The company took on a huge amount of early risk, Michelle Peters, director of operations at Poseidon, told Insider. One of the reasons Poseidon got the plant approved was because it had found a location that made it easy to access water, which helped it sidestep backlash from local environmentalists.Normally, where a desalination plant gets its salt water from and where it dumps its wastewater is of major environmental concern. Sucking the water in means sucking any tiny or microbial life that could disrupt the ecological balance in with it.Then dumping dense, salty waste back can drastically change the ocean's salinity and <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/slaking-the-worlds-thirst-with-seawater-dumps-toxic-brine-in-oceans/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">suffocate marine life</a>, Michael Hanemann, a professor of water economics and policy at Arizona State University, said.<div type="image" title="A diagram explaining how the Carlsbad desalination plant works." height="413" width="700" msid="104779174" hostid="261" sizebytes="24622"></div>These concerns troubled Glennon enough that when he was asked to consult on a new desalination proposal in the <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-10-05/panel-rejects-idea-of-filling-salton-sea-with-ocean-water" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Salton Sea in California</a>, he recommended against it. He remembered thinking, "What would we be doing, taking this virgin piece of beach, a functioning ecosystem, and completely degrading it?"But the Carlsbad plant was built next to a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/attacks-on-us-power-grids-increase-around-elections-experts-say-2023-9">power plant</a> conveniently located on the shoreline.The power plant used ocean water to cool its machinery — so the desalination plant could use that hot saltwater waste for its main supply. One person's trash is another's treasure, as they say.Since Carlsbad was using water that was being extracted anyway, it posed no additional threat to the ecosystem — at least on the front end. But it did have to address the back end.Peters said they developed a method of diluting the brine before sending it back to the shoreline by a discharge pond. In the eight years since it began running, the plant has kept salinity levels within regulations the <a href="https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/ocean/desalination/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">California Ocean Plan Amendments</a> has set, so in that regard, the method worked, Peters said.Moreover, dilution can be an effective way of managing environmental impact, Glennon said. <h2>The other options for saving water</h2><div type="image" title="A photograph of the rows and rows of reverse osmosis machines at the Carlsbad plant." height="3209" width="4278" msid="104779178" hostid="261" sizebytes="1443174"></div>Because of building and operations costs, plus their potential environmental and ecological toll, desalination plants might not be the saving grace to the country's water crisis that people might think, Glennon said. But they can be a backup plan."As an economist, in principle, there is a case for desal as a form of insurance against disruption of conventional surface-water supply," Hanemann said.But there are far easier methods to consider as the first line of defense against water shortages, such as <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/las-vegas-turn-away-companies-not-practicing-water-conservation-2023-9">conserving water</a>, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/orange-county-purest-drinking-water-filtered-sewage-2019-10">recycling used water</a>, and manipulating the cost of water, Glennon said. When applied rigorously, these methods have been promising in the past.<div type="image" title="A photograph of a person getting water from a tap at a promotional event for the Bud Lewis desalination plant." height="2800" width="3733" msid="104779180" hostid="261" sizebytes="311284"></div>In 2019, Los Angeles <a href="https://lacitysan.org/san/faces/home/portal/s-lsh-wwd/s-lsh-wwd-cw/s-lsh-wwd-cw-rw?_afrLoop=14485714539863279&amp;_afrWindowMode=0&amp;_afrWindowId=null&amp;_adf.ctrl-state=kkeuczw2b_1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">proposed recycling water</a> from sinks, showers, toilets, appliances, and machinery into its water supply. Recycling this source would make enough drinking water a year to equal the <a href="https://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-glennon-water-sewage-recycling-los-angeles-20190305-story.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">seventh-largest river</a> in the United States, the Columbia River, Glennon said. With these easier options on the table, it's even more staggering that cities such as San Diego have pushed desalination efforts through.Peters recognized that her company's success in San Diego might be a rare occurrence.When it comes to using desalination in other cities across the country, she said, "I'm sure anything could be done. But whether that's the right call is going to be very dependent on where you're looking at."Roughly <a href="https://www.apmresearchlab.org/10x-desalination" target="_blank" rel="noopener">200 desalination plants</a> are currently operating in the US and about <a href="https://www.wwdmag.com/water/article/10917779/desalination-in-america" target="_blank" rel="noopener">50 to 75</a> new projects are proposed each year in the country.

San Diego temporarily solved its water crisis by turning ocean water into fresh water. But desalination won't work everywhere.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>An ex-California official pleaded guilty to conspiring to steal water from the federal government.</li><li>Dennis Falaschi's plea represents only a fraction of the original $25 million believed by prosecutors to be stolen.</li></ul>A former California official pleaded guilty to conspiring to steal more than $1.5 million of water, but the decadeslong water heist case still has more questions than answers. Dennis Falaschi served as the general manager of the Panoche Water District in Fresno and Merced Counties, located in central California, from around 1986 to 2017. The public water district bought water from the federal government and collected drainage water from farms, both of which it then legally sold to farmers in the area, according to a statement issued by the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-edca/pr/former-water-district-general-manager-pleads-guilty-conspiracy-commit-water-theft-and">US attorney's office</a> for the Eastern District of California on Tuesday.But after Falaschi discovered some of the federally owned water was leaking from an old pipe into a separate canal, the pipe was modified so it could be open and closed, allowing water to be taken "on demand," prosecutors said.The US attorney said Falaschi was responsible for stealing somewhere between $1.5 million and $3.5 million worth of water. Prosecutors also said that between 2011 and 2016 Falaschi was paid for water that he had sourced legally, but he did not report the income on his tax returns.In a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-edca/media/1353436/dl?inline">plea agreement</a> filed Thursday, Falaschi pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to take federally owned water and one count of filing a false tax return.A lawyer for Falaschi did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider. His sentencing is set for September.While the plea provides some answers, many questions remain in the case that farmers in the San Joaquin Valley have been watching for years.When Falaschi was <a target="_blank" href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-edca/press-release/file/1494726/dl">indicted</a> in 2022, prosecutors painted him as the mastermind of a plot that lasted from around 1992 to 2015 in which more than $25,000,000 worth of water was stolen from the federal government, or more than 130,000 acre-feet of water.The indictment said proceeds from the theft, which should've gone to the federal government, instead when to Falaschi and eight co-conspirators in the form of "exorbitant salaries, fringe benefits, and personal expense reimbursements."<a target="_blank" href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-04-28/san-joaquin-valley-official-accused-of-epic-california-water-heist">The Los Angeles Times</a>, which published a deep-dive into the alleged heist in April, reported that while some farmers were angry with Falaschi, others described him as the "Robin Hood of irrigation," ensuring they could get the water they needed.Falaschi's plea agreement claims he's responsible for stealing only a fraction of the original $25 million prosecutors accused him of taking in the original indictment. The plea agreement also said Falaschi was one of several people involved in the misconduct and that he was unaware of the full extent of the misconduct.Of the water Falaschi took, the plea agreement said almost all of it was taken to "blend down and reuse drainage water, which helped protect farmland and improve water quality in the San Joaquin River.""The improved water quality contributed to the San Joaquin River being removed from the list of impaired waters under California's Clean Water Act," the plea agreement said, adding, "There was no evidence that Mr. Falaschi directly benefitted from the misconduct."<a target="_blank" href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-05-28/panoche-official-pleads-guilty-in-water-theft-conspiracy?sfmc_id=65329fc725b3640666af891d&amp;utm_id=35526484&amp;skey_id=12ff9948ec0105848e4dba7d6867e4d60c72154dcf243d4943c9fad16ab751ac&amp;utm_source=Sailthru&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=ALERT-Email-List-Who%20else%20was%20stealing?%20Conspiracy%20plea%20deepens%20mystery%20in%20San%20Joaquin%20Valley%20water%20heist-20240528&amp;utm_term=Alert%20-%20News%20Alerts">The Times</a> reported the plea raises even more questions about who was stealing the water, who was making money off of it, and why it took the federal government so long to notice.The mystery surrounding the case continues as water use in the state coms under increasing scrutiny, with droughts and water shortages forcing <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/12/14/climate/california-water-crisis-drought.html">California officials</a> to reconsider how water is used and allotted.

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