Bengaluru residents continue to struggle with drinking water shortage

BENGALURU: Amid the ongoing water crisis in the silicon city of India, several residents of Bengaluru were seen queuing up outside the RO water plants in many areas, carrying empty cans, in hopes of securing the essential water supply.

The struggle for drinking water continues for the residents of the city. The depletion of groundwater and drying up of more than 3,000 borewells in the state capital has made it difficult for the people. Amid strict measures imposed by the state government in the wake of the scarcity of water in the state, many residents of the city are now dependent upon the RO water plants.

“For the last few days, we have been facing problems. We are fully dependent on the RO plant,” said a resident of Bengaluru. Another local complained of the issue of untimely supply of water. “We get less water and we have to make 2-3 visits to check if water is available. Cauvery water is supplied only once or twice a week. Rains haven’t started yet, so there is no ground water and even the Cauvery river has less water”, said Shabbir, a resident.

#WATCH | Bengaluru: People queue up for water near an RO plant, as water crisis continues. (15.3) pic.twitter.com/ZhutBurpsm

— ANI (@ANI) March 15, 2024

Meanwhile, many I-T professionals have resorted to working from home, as the city battles the ongoing water crisis. “If we get work from home, it will be good as the water will be saved. It will save our time and water”, said Amogh, an IT employee.

Another IT employee Varsha said, “More amount of water is spent if the employees go to offices. It’s better to work from home. Never thought that we would get WFH because of water scarcity”.

The public’s plight underscores the urgent need for comprehensive water management strategies to mitigate the impact of the ongoing water crisis in Bengaluru. The ruling Congress and opposition BJP have been engaged in a continuous political feud over the water shortage in Karnataka.

The BJP has accused the ruling Congress of diverting Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu, worsening the water crisis within the state. However, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah refuted the allegations and said that it is a blatant lie. “BJP is alleging that water is being released to Tamil Nadu, it is a lie. We can release water only if we have water. Even if Tamil Nadu asks or the Centre tells us to release water, we’ll not do so,” he said.

Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar slammed the BJP for indulging in politics over the ongoing water crisis in the state. “There is no such scarcity of water in Bengaluru, it is the BJP that has created the scarcity, its what they’re doing, we are providing what we have been asked legally to Tamil Nadu. Our priority is to provide water to Bengaluru”, he said. (ANI)