Bengaluru: Water tariff could be increased amid BWSSB losses

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has instructed the Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) to explore the possibility of raising water tariffs due to significant financial losses faced by the Board.

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In a review meeting, Shivakumar directed BWSSB officials to prepare a report outlining potential options for increasing water rates in the city. The Board has not raised water tariffs in the last 11 years, leading to annual losses of approximately Rs 1,000 crore. These losses have been exacerbated by a sharp rise in electricity bills, which have doubled from Rs 35 crore to Rs 75 crore.

BWSSB officials have warned that the losses could increase further once the Cauvery 5th Stage water supply project is fully operational. They noted that this financial strain is limiting the Board's capacity to invest in new infrastructure projects.

Currently, Bengaluru’s water tariffs for domestic users range from Rs 7 to Rs 45 per kilolitre, with a minimum monthly charge of Rs 56. Commercial users pay between Rs 36 and Rs 60 per kilolitre.

Apart from these financial challenges, the city faces a daily water shortfall of 500 million litres, with a total demand of 2,600 million litres per day. Declining groundwater levels in areas such as Mahadevapura and Whitefield have raised concerns about severe water shortages, especially in 80 wards and 110 villages during the summer.