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Bengaluru water supply cut tomorrow: Check timing, affected areas, possible solution
Bengaluru residents face rising tanker prices, depleted groundwater, and water rationing. The state government is likely to introduce the Cauvery Phase-5 project in May to tackle long-standing water issues.
As India's Silicon Valley and Karnataka's capital, Bengaluru city, braces for a 24-hour water supply cut tomorrow (February 27), a bigger worry looms. The poor monsoon in 2023 and the water dispute with Tamil Nadu have crippled the one water source of the city--Cauvery river. With a population of 1.3 crore, the city is struggling to meet the water demand.
The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) announced the shutdown to conduct essential maintenance work and install Unaccounted For Water (UFW) bulk flow meters, according to a report by The Indian Express.
The 24-hour water supply disruption will begin at 6 am on February 27 and will continue till 6 am on February 28.
According to a report in The Times of India's The Weather Channel, the city presently has access to about 1,850 million litres per day (MLD), but it needs at least 1,680 MLD more to meet water needs. Bengaluru's groundwater has depleted, and at least 1,240 out of 10,995 borewells are now at risk of drying up.
On top of it, the Reverse Osmosis (RO) units that provide affordable drinking water (20 litres at ₹5) have either shut down or doubled their prices. In a ripple effect, the street vendors and small businesses dependent on these units now face challenges.
This acute water shortage months before peak summer is forcing many residents to ration their water use and pay almost double the usual price to meet their daily needs, according to a report by Reuters.
Also Read | 24-hour water supply cut in Bengaluru
Skyrocketing water tanker prices
The price of water tankers in the city has already skyrocketed as well, with rates likely to go over double the usual rates during peak summer. In some parts of Bengaluru, residents are having to pay as much as ₹2,000 for a 12,000-litre tanker. The same 12,000-litre tanker had cost ₹1,200 earlier.
An estimated 20% of Bangaloreans depend on private tanker operators for drinking water.
"We now need to book water tankers two days in advance; my plants are dying, and I'm taking alternate-day showers," said Santhosh CA, a resident of Horamavu in north Bengaluru, as quoted by Reuters.
Affected Areas
South Bengaluru:
BHEL Layout
Srinivasa Nagar
Jaimaruthi Nagar
Badavane
Nandini Layout
Sakamma Layout
Narasimha Swamy Layout
Muneshwara Nagar
Jnana Jyothi Nagar
Jnanaganganagar
Mallathahalli
NGEF Layout
Part of ITI Layout
1st & 2nd Stage Railway Layout
RHBCS Layout 1st and 2nd stage
Byraweshwaranagar
Sunkadakatte
Jaya Lakshmamma Layout
Kebbehalla
Chandana Layout
Chandrashekar Layout
Geology Layout
Narasapura
Kandaya Layout
Mulakattamma Layout
Part of Papareddypalya
BEL 1st and 2nd Stage
Bilekallu
Byadarahalli
Upkar Layout
Surrounding areas of West Bengaluru
Bangaluru North:
Parts of Dasarahalli Zone and RR Nagar Zone
East Bengaluru:
Parts of A Narayanapura
Udaya Nagar
Andhra Colony
VSR Layout
Indira Gandhi Street
Jyothi Nagara
Dargamahall
Sakamma Layout
Vignana Nagar under Vignana Nagar Service Station
Akshaynagar
MEG Layout
Ramesh Nagar
Veerbhadra Nagar
Shiva Shakti Colony under Jagadish Nagar Service Station
Doddanekundi and Marathalli Service Station areas:
Nallur Puram
Ramesh Nagar
Reddy Palya
Vibhuthipura
Annasandra Palya
LBS Nagar
Cauvery project V
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah recently said that the Cauvery Phase-5 project of 775 million litres per day capacity, with the aim to provide 110 litres daily to Bangaloreans will be operationalised in May this year. The estimated cost of the project is ₹5,550 crore.
Under the Cauvery Phase-5, underground drainage works will be completed by December 2024. As part of the project, 228 km of drainage pipeline will be laid, and 13 Sewage Treatment Plants (STP) with a capacity to treat 100 million litres per day (MLD) of sewage water will be constructed, he said.
While seven STPs will be upgraded at a cost of ₹441 crore for daily treatment and reuse of 268 MLD sewage water, Phase-II of the drinking water supply scheme to 110 villages added to Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) limits will be implemented at a cost of ₹200 crore, the Chief Minister said.
Possible solutions to Bengaluru water crisis
According to The Weather Channel's report, the BWSSB is taking several steps to address the ongoing water crisis. Here are a few of them:
- Reduce consumption: The BWSSB is encouraging industries and commercial establishments to use treated water.
- Alternative sources of water: Bengaluru administration is leasing out private borewells and is renting additional tankers to bridge the water supply gap.
- Rejuvenating the borewells: There have been attempts to revive existing borewells to increase water availability in the city.
- Awareness campaigns: The BWSSB has been organising awareness campaigns to educate Bengaluru residents on water conservation practices.
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Business NewsNewsIndiaBengaluru water supply cut tomorrow: Check timing, affected areas, possible solution
First Published:26 Feb 2024, 12:28 PM IST
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