Bengaluru water crisis: BWSSB to supply recycled water for construction from today

Bengaluru, the tech hub of India is hard hit with a water crisis as the region is facing acute water shortage due to a failed northeast monsoon. Adding to this crisis, the groundwater resources have dried up and could not be replenished. Moreover, water bodies including lakes and reservoirs have dried to their rock bottoms.

Amid the prevailing circumstances, the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) will start supplying recycled water for construction activities from Tuesday, April 2.

Moreover, the BWSSB has been actively holding meetings with the Confederation of Real Estate Developers’ Association of India (CREDAI) and the Bangalore Apartments Federation (BAF) to deal with the water crisis.

Also read: Telangana deals with acute water shortage as reservoirs dry up amid Bengaluru water crisis; What's behind this drought?

BWSSB chairman V Ram Prasath Manohar had said on Sunday, March 31 that the initiative to supply recycled water will reduce borewell dependency, reported TOI. 

The BWSSB chairman further informed that developers have placed orders for 62 lakh litres of recycled water and the demand is expected to go up in the coming days, reported TOI. 

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With the sale of recycled water, the BWSSB will have another source of income, which has a tie-up with the IISc to get third-party certification. Other measures to deal with the crisis include BSSWB allowance to apartment complexes to sell 50 percent of their recycled water. Moreover, the board plans to lay separate pipelines to supply treated water if a construction site is within a 500-meter radius of any sewage treatment plant.

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Telangana is dealing with the drinking water crisis in several parts as there is no water available for irrigation of Rabi crops this season. Telangana is witnessing a near drought situation due to below-normal rainfall, the state agriculture department report submitted to the state government on March 27 stated.

Also read: Bengaluru water crisis: From using milk tankers, fixing rates, filling lakes to fines; How the city is tackling drought

The reports said, “Between March and May, 2024, which is considered a hot season, the normal rainfall should be around 3.9 mm, but so far, only 0.2 mm rainfall is received." 

Thus, it was reported that the water levels in almost all major reservoirs including Jurala, Srisailam, and Nagarjunasagar in Krishna basin, Sriramsagar, Sripadasagar, Nizamsagar, Mid-Manair, Lower Manair, and Kadem have almost dried up completely.