The Bengaluru water crisis is said to have been caused by a number of reasons, including a lack of rainfall, depleting groundwater, inadequate infrastructural planning, and the influence of water tanker operations.
Water crisis has severly hit Karnataka's Bengaluru and other areas, prompting the state government to announce setting up of control rooms, helpline numbers at Taluk level and a residential complex in the capital city to urge its residents to use wet wipes and disposable to conserve water.
The Bengaluru water crisis is said to have been caused by a number of reasons, including a lack of rainfall, depleting groundwater, inadequate infrastructural planning, and the influence of water tanker operations.
The IT hub is particularly affected by a severe drought, with insufficient rainfall leading to a decline in the Cauvery River's water levels. This shortage impacts not only drinking water but also irrigation. Furthermore, the lack of rain in recent months has contributed to the drying up of borewells in Bengaluru.
The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB), responsible for the city's water supply, primarily relies on the Cauvery River for water. Areas without access to Cauvery water connections depend on borewells or tanker water.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, and cabinet ministers, along with officials, and secretaries of respective departments, held a crucial meeting on Tuesday to address the shortage of drinking water in Bengaluru.
Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said that he is 'seriously looking' into the matter, adding that the borewell in his own house has dried up.
"I am very seriously looking at it. I had a meeting with all the officials. We are identifying the points where water is available... More than 3000 borewells have dried up in Bengaluru..." he told news agency ANI.
"We will see that we provide water at a very reasonable rate to all the people. We are worried about it because all the borewells, including the borewell at my house, have dried up..." the Deputy CM said.
Facing an acute water crisis due to severe drought, Karnataka on Tuesday announced setting up control rooms at Taluk level and helpline numbers. Briefing reporters after the meeting with the principal secretaries and deputy commissioners in the districts, CM Siddaramaiah said task forces headed by the local MLAs have been constituted to tackle drought in the state.
"There will be district and Taluk level control rooms to face water crisis. A helpline will be created. The state government will take up all the measures to tackle the water crisis and will ensure that there is no shortage of funds," Siddaramaiah said.
According to him, out of 236 Taluks, about 223 of them have been drought hit, including 219 severely affected.
Amid the water shortage in Bengaluru, a gated society in the city has even asked its residents to use disposable plates and wet wipes to conserve water.
This comes amid the state government's decision to take over private tankers for supplying water to the driest parts of Bengaluru, a move that has aggravated problems for private apartment complexes that were dependent on tankers for their daily supply of water.
Vasanth Kumar, the president of the residents' association at Prestige Falcon City in Kanakapura Road in Bengaluru said that the measure was recommended only in case of dire straits. "It was only suggested in case residents ran out of water," a Moneycontrol report quoted him as saying.
Kumar said arrangements have been made and they are expecting their water supply to be replenished by 4 pm. The gated society has also been practicing water cuts with the supply being made available from 6 am to 11 am and from 5 pm to 11 pm, the report said.
"But we have asked residents to do all they can to conserve water since we still have about four months to go till the monsoon arrives and we have to use water judiciously," Kumar was quoted as saying.
On Tuesday, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar warned the water tanker owners in the state that the government would seize their tankers if they do not register with the authorities before the deadline of March 7.
Addressing a press conference on Tuesday at the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) head office, on the looming water crisis in Bengaluru, he had said, "Of the total 3,500 water tankers in Bengaluru city, only 10 per cent, that is 219 tankers, have registered with the authorities. The government will seize them if they don't register before the deadline."
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said there is a drinking water crisis in about 412 Panchayats in 98 Taluks and water is being supplied through 204 water tankers in 175 villages.
In 500 Gram Panchayats, water is being supplied through 596 private borewells. In Bengaluru city, 120 municipal tankers and 232 water board tankers are supplying water.
Siddaramaiah said local administration will take control over private borewells and agreements will be made with them and money will be paid accordingly.
He also said Rs 70 crore has been released to drill new borewells with the permission of Deputy Commissioners and Zilla Panchayat chief executive officers.