Water woes grip Bengaluru as city faces severe crisis ahead of summer

BENGALURU: Bengaluru, often referred to as India’s Silicon Valley, is facing a severe water crisis. As the sweltering summer approaches, the plea for government intervention grows louder, highlighting the urgent need for sustainable solutions to address the escalating water shortage in the tech hub.

A citizen, Suresh, emphasized the rising costs and inadequate water supply, expressed concerns about potential health risks in the upcoming hot weather. “It’s been six months, we have not received corporation water. Cauvery water pipe connections have been provided, but still there is no water supply, causing difficulties. For water tankers, booking has to be done two days in advance, and the cost of water delivery has increased from Rs 1,600 to Rs 2,000 per tanker. Even after paying this amount, the water doesn’t arrive on time”, he said.

“The water scarcity is severe and people are struggling even to bathe. In a few days, people won’t be able to bathe due to the water shortage. The situation will worsen during the upcoming hot weather and people might face health risks. We request the government to address the water problem and provide a solution to the scarcity issue”, he added.

Another resident, Deepa, highlighted the severity of the situation stating that for the last three months, there has been a severe water shortage leading to several problems in day-to-day activities. “It has been three months since we haven’t been getting water in Bengaluru. We face a severe water shortage, often travelling to different places to fetch water. We don’t even have money to request water tankers, and the situation sometimes leads to fights. We came here from Nepal to earn a living, but the water problem is making it difficult”, she said.

“Even when water is supplied for a day, the overwhelming demand makes it hard to access, resulting in conflicts. Once, there was even physical violence over water. Some people manage to get tankers, but it’s a challenge for us. After work, we come home and then have to fetch water. The water supply only lasts until 7 pm, creating additional difficulties”, Deepa added.

Priya emphasised the challenges posed by expensive water tankers and appealed to the government for assistance. “Since August 2023, we have been facing water scarcity. Despite our complaints, the problem persists and water tankers are in high demand, costing Rs 3,000 per load. This expense is burdensome for the common person. We request the government’s assistance, perhaps through borewell facilities, to alleviate our problems. Living a life where every tanker-load of water costs Rs 3,000 is challenging for ordinary people”, Priya said.

Haridas, another resident, stressed on the need for the government to provide resident with Cauvery water connections. “The water problem here has been persisting for 3-4 months. The tanker cost has increased from Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500, and recently it even reached Rs 2,000. Obtaining water has become a significant hardship. The MP’s tanker is not arriving, and private vehicles have to be arranged by contributing money individually. They say the tanker will come once in 3-4 days”.

“Even borewells do not have water. Having at least a Cauvery connection (water connection) would be helpful, but even that is pending”, Haridas said.

On Tuesday, the Karnataka government held a key meeting to address the issue of water shortage in the state. Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, said that he is ‘seriously looking’ into the matter. “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 3,000 borewells have dried up in Bengaluru…” he said.

ರಾಜ್ಯದ ಬರ ಪರಿಸ್ಥಿತಿ ಕುರಿತಂತೆ ಸಿಎಂ ಗೃಹ ಕಚೇರಿ ಕೃಷ್ಣಾದಲ್ಲಿ ಜಿಲ್ಲಾ ಉಸ್ತುವಾರಿ ಸಚಿವರು, ಕಾರ್ಯದರ್ಶಿಗಳು, ಜಿಲ್ಲಾಧಿಕಾರಿಗಳು ಹಾಗೂ ಜಿಲ್ಲಾ ಪಂಚಾಯತ್ ಮುಖ್ಯ ಕಾರ್ಯನಿರ್ವಹಣಾಧಿಕಾರಿಗಳೊಂದಿಗೆ ಇಂದು ನಡೆದ ವಿಡಿಯೋ ಕಾನ್ಫರೆನ್ಸ್‌ ಸಭೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಮುಖ್ಯಮಂತ್ರಿಗಳೊಂದಿಗೆ ಪಾಲ್ಗೊಂಡೆ. ಈ ವೇಳೆ ಈ ವೇಳೆ ಕಂದಾಯ ಸಚಿವರಾದ ಶ್ರೀ ಕೃಷ್ಣ… pic.twitter.com/6dBIy3DkU4

— DK Shivakumar (@DKShivakumar) March 5, 2024

Shivakumar further said that the borewell at his own house had dried up. “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.

With the summer expected to be more severe this year, some 7,082 villages across Karnataka and 1,193 wards, including in Bengaluru Urban district, are vulnerable to drinking water-crisis in the coming months as per an assessment made by the government as of February 10.

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. (ANI)