X: @the_news_21
Bengaluru, India’s Silicon Valley and a bustling metropolis, finds itself gripped by a worsening water crisis, exacerbating the hardships of its residents, particularly those in areas like Mahadevapura, Whitefield, and Varthur. With high-rise apartments and posh communities bearing the brunt of the crisis, the announcement of a 24-hour water supply disruption by the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) from 6 am on February 27 to 6 am on February 28 has only added to the woes of the city’s populace.
The scheduled shutdown, aimed at facilitating essential maintenance work and the installation of Unaccounted For Water (UFW) bulk flow meters, underscores the urgent need for infrastructure improvements to address the escalating water scarcity.
Despite most parts of Bengaluru receiving water from the Cauvery River through authorized BWSSB connections, the city continues to grapple with a shortfall in supply, with only 1,450 million litres of Cauvery water per day against a daily requirement of approximately 1,700 million litres. This shortfall has forced residents without Cauvery water connections to rely heavily on borewells and water tankers, particularly in upscale neighborhoods of east Bengaluru.
The crisis has been compounded by severe drought conditions, which have depleted water levels in the Cauvery River and rendered borewells dry. The scarcity has led to exorbitant pricing by water tanker operators, with costs skyrocketing from ₹600-800 to over ₹2000 for a 1000-litre tanker, leaving residents at the mercy of unscrupulous suppliers.
Amidst allegations of profiteering and exploitation, residents have called for government intervention to impose price caps on water tankers and prevent overcharging. Long queues of people holding water cans for drinking water have become a common sight in the city, underscoring the gravity of the situation.
Responding to the urgency, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) convened a high-level meeting, allocating a substantial budget of ₹131 crores for drilling borewells in priority zones and undertaking repairs to restore functionality to depleted tubewells. Efforts are underway to address the depletion of tubewells within the city, with authorities prioritizing repairs and maintenance to alleviate the water scarcity plaguing Bengaluru.
As residents endure the consequences of the water crisis, there is a pressing need for concerted efforts by authorities and the community to implement sustainable solutions and ensure equitable access to water resources for all residents of the city.
