Bengaluru has been facing water crisis

A look at factors that have caused the crisis

BWSSB guidelines on saving water

In the last few days, Bengaluru has been facing water crisis. It set in much before the onset of summer, throwing life out of gear. In fact, hashtags like #nowaterinbengaluru #savewater #bengaluruwatercrisis went viral, thereby exposing the problems that people faced.

It should be noted that Bengaluru does have water, but is not sufficient enough to meet the needs. We take a look at other factors that have caused the problem.

1. Depleting water table due to scanty rains: As per satellite images, water table has plummeted by 8 meters.
2. Borewells have dried up: All thanks to borewells drying up, the Eastern parts of Bengaluru like Whitefield, Mahadevapura and Sarjapura have undergone massive consequences.
3. Water board’s borewells too have dried up: The water board has 11,000 borewells under its jurisdiction. Out of these 6900 borewells have dried up. This has led to a massive cry for water in places which don’t have Cauvery water connection.
4. Bengaluru needs 1450 MLD water daily: While this is the daily water need of Bengaluru, BWSSB fulfills 60 percent of this need through Cauvery connections. Even during scanty rains, the BWSSB has supplied the requisite water. The remaining 40 percent was supplied through sources which depend on water table. With the water table drying up, it has become a problem.
5. 110 villages added to Bengaluru jurisdiction: In 2007, 33 villages were added to the Bommanahalli zone, 23 to the Mahadevapura zone, 17 to the RR nagar zone, 11 to Dasarahalli and 26 to Byatarayanapura. The project to supply Cauvery water to these zones remains unfulfilled. The unfinished work of laying pipelines, constructing pump houses and filtering water have cast a negative effect on the water supply scenario. The BWSSB had promised to complete the project in Feb 2024, but it still has not seen the light of day.

Also read: Bengaluru Water Crisis: BWSSB mandates aerators; know how effective they are

With a view to ameliorate the effects of water crisis, the BWSSB has issued a few guidelines.

Let’s have a look at them:

1. Saving water: It has instructed both domestic and commercial users to install aerators so that water consumption can be lessened. The last day for this project is April 30.
2. Usage of treated water: BWSSB has asked people to make use of treated water amounting to 1200 MLD. Excess treated water would be let into several channels thereby wasting it. It is here that BWSSB wanted to step in and stem the rot.
3. RWH: To rejuvenate lakes and improve water table, it has asked people to embed RWH apparatus. In fact, in 640 places such RWH apparatus have been incorporated. Through this, borewells will get a fresh lease of life.
4. Preservation of working borewells: With a view to preserve them, the BWSSB has taken measures not to permit fresh digging of borewells in close proximity with them.
5. Fining people: Fining those people who use potable water for other purposes (Rs 5000).

Extremely scarce rainfall

In the last three years, Bengaluru had never seen such scanty rainfall. On an average Bengaluru records 7mm of rains in January, 7.1mm in Feb and 14.7 mm in March, and 61.7 mm in April. But this time Bengaluru has been unlucky.

It is imperative that Bengalureans should save water, rope in new campaigns in the same direction.