Bengaluru water crisis: Deputy CM Shivakumar denies shortage, says ‘only 7,000 borewells have dried’

Bengaluru Water Crisis: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Thursday denied that there was any water crisis in Bengaluru, even as repeated instances of residents in trouble over acute shortage emerge. Residents of Bengaluru, especially in Whitefield, KR Puram, Electronic City, RR Nagar, Kengeri, and CV Raman Nagar, have been facing severe water scarcity for the past few weeks.

On the severe water shortage in many parts of Bengaluru, DK Shivakumar, who is also in charge of Bengaluru Development, said, “As far as Bengaluru is concerned, there is no water crisis. Only about 7,000 borewells have dried. We have made alternative arrangements for them. We have taken control of water tankers. We have identified the water sources. We will see that water is supplied."

Notably, on Wednesday, Karnataka Congress MLC BK Hariprasad had also claimed that there was no water crisis in Bengaluru. 

The Congress leader also blamed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for playing a “political game”. Shivakumar dismissed allegations that the Congress government was clandestinely releasing Cauvery river water to neighbouring Tamil Nadu despite severe water shortage in the State. 

"It is totally false. There is no water to be released. It is just a political game they (BJP) are trying,” Shivakumar, who is also the state Congress president, said.

The deputy chief minister was reacting to the BJP leaders' allegation that huge amounts of water are being released from Karnataka dams by the government to the neighbouring state for "their political compulsion" as the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, the ruling party in Tamil Nadu, is part of the opposition INDIA bloc. 

Shivakumar also sought to remind the BJP leaders that he was the one who conducted the ‘walk for Mekedatu project’ demanding a balancing reservoir across the Cauvery river at Mekedatu in Kanakapura taluk of Ramanagara district. Shivakumar, the MLA from Kanakapura, said he had organised the march to see that the Mekedatu project becomes a reality. 

He requested the BJP MPs and Union ministers to ensure that the state secured permission to take up the Mekedatu project.

Bengaluru Water Woes

From exploring work-from-home (WFH) options and shifting to a place with better water facilities to taking bath on alternate days--citizens of India's tech capital Bengaluru are trying everything possible to deal with an unprecedented water crisis that has gripped the city.

Those staying in high-rise apartments with water harvesting facilities are also dependent on tankers now for drinking water and many restrictions have been imposed. 

Eateries in Bengaluru are mulling the use of disposable cups, glasses and plates to avoid excess use of water.

Bengaluru authorities try to tackle crisis 

The Karnataka government is taking a slew of measures to address the situation. Civic authorities have decided to fill up the drying lakes with 1,300 million litres per day of treated water to replenish groundwater sources in the city, where about 50 per cent of the borewells have dried up.

The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) will also install filter borewells and construct water plants using an innovative technology near the restored lake beds to supply water after testing, the civic agency officials said.

(With agency inputs)