Bengaluru residents express concern over growing water shortage over last six months

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], March 5 (ANI): Bengaluru, the Silicon Valley of India, is facing a grave water crisis and residents of the city are concerned as the summer season is yet to come.
Muniyamma, a local residing in Bengaluru's Babusapalaya, said that his area has been facing water shortage for the past 6 months.
"For the last six months, there has been a water problem in Babusapalaya, Bengaluru. Affluent people buy water from tankers, but poor people like us have to struggle for water," the local said.
Although the Cauvery water pipeline has been laid in Babusapalya in Bengaluru but no water connection has been provided yet. People are saying that if Cauvery water comes here, the water problem of the people here will be solved.
The locals further added that the borewell has dried up as it has been without water for the past seven months.
Shashikala, another local, said that water tanker vendors are demanding exorbitant amount.
"Presently the biggest problem is that there is no water in Bengaluru. They are not getting water in Bengaluru even if they give money. Some people buy water from tankers. But the tanker vendors are demanding payment of Rs 2,000 per tanker," the local added.
Meanwhile, 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 Monday at the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) head office, on the looming water crisis in Bengaluru, he said, "Of the total 3,500 water tankers in Bengaluru city, only 10pc, that is 219 tankers, have registered with the authorities. The government will seize them if they don't register before the deadline."
"Water is not the property of any individual but is a resource that belongs to the government. The government has the right to take control of water sources. The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board officials have been instructed to be prepared to supply water from areas where groundwater is abundant," Shivakumar said.
Highlighting the emerging grave situation, Suresh, another resident said that with summers yet to come, they have already started to face issues related to water shortage.
"People here have been facing water problems for the past few days. If we want to purchase water from tankers, they are asking for Rs 2,000 for one tanker. Now this kind of water problem is faced in the month of March itself. There are still two to three months of summer season and the water problem will increase even more. Because there is no water, we are taking a bath once in every two days," he said.
Deepa, who came from Nepal to work in Bengaluru, added that a commotion happened in her area over the water crisis.
"We are facing a water scarcity in Bangalore. There has been water scarcity for the last 4-5 months. We came to Bangalore from Nepal to work, but there is a water problem here. Should we get up in the morning and go to work or should we go home with a bindi (pot) filled with water? 3-4 days ago, there was a big commotion here for water," she said.
Meanwhile, 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.
Water sources in many villages in the state have reportedly been depleted. Due to groundwater depletion, many borewells are slowly drying up, with more than 3,000 borewells in Bengaluru.
A report by the revenue department has identified the most number of villages in Tumakuru district (746) and the most number of wards in Uttara Kannada. In Bengaluru Urban district, 174 villages and 120 wards are shown as vulnerable.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had said that the Union government had not released a single paisa towards drought relief in Karnataka even after the people of the state were suffering from severe drought.
"We Kannadigas give Rs 4 lakh crores of tax to the centre every year. But the Centre gives back only Rs 52,000 crores. Even in times of drought distress, the Centre has not released a single rupee," the CM had said. (ANI)