Bengaluru's water demand will go up in summer but we can handle it: BWSSB chief

A potential water scarcity is looming over Bengaluru ahead of the summer. The service area under the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board has increased considerably over the years, but the allocation of Cauvery water has remained the same. While the BWSSB says it’s ready to rise to the occasion, several challenges remain. BWSSB Chairperson N Jayaram throws light on the board’s summer preparedness:

Summer is around the corner. How is the BWSSB preparing to meet the rise in the demand for potable water?

We anticipate a small increase in the demand as borewell-dependent citizens switch to Cauvery water during the summer. We are confident of meeting the demand with our current allocation. We have been supplying 1,450 MLD (Million Litres Per Day) of water. This will not change regardless of the season even though the demand touches 1,800-2,000 MLD on some days. We also have about 8,000 borewells under our operation, which can meet any rise in demand for the time being. Still, we urge citizens to use water judiciously during the coming months.

What would be the water demand by 2025? Is the BWSSB ready to meet it?

By 2025, we estimate Bengaluru’s water demand to touch 2,500 MLD. The current capacity of 1,450 MLD, along with another 750 MLD under Cauvery 5th Phase, will supply 2,200 MLD. The 8,000-plus borewells would come in handy in meeting the remaining demand.

Supplying Cauvery water to the 110 villages on the periphery has added to the demand but the allocation of water at the source has remained the same. How challenging is it to cater to these villages?

The Cauvery 5th Phase project was launched to cater to these areas. But some of them still do not have the necessary infrastructure to get all the water allocated to Bengaluru from the KRS. Some villages get water once or twice a week due to infrastructure bottlenecks. The infrastructure works will get completed in two more years. The Yettinahole project will further help us in meeting the water demand.

Regardless of your network in these areas that are filled with apartments and gated communities, not many people have applied for BWSSB water connections because of the high costs. Will there be any special plans to attract them?

There is no question of special plans or dedicated marketing. There are enough people in our network. In fact, people are waiting to get BWSSB connections and regular supply of water. Presently, we supply water on alternative days. We will be able to meet their demands fully once the ongoing projects are completed.

The BWSSB has heavily invested in infrastructure to link all areas through pipelines. But the water charges have more or less remained the same for over six years now. How are you managing the losses?

The state government is supporting us to a certain extent. But some issues remain, and we will sort them out. Without government approval, we cannot revise the tariff, which was last raised seven years ago. In the same period, Bescom revised its tariff seven times. We have pointed this out to the government. We have been managing for now and we may have to manage for a few more years.

The BWSSB is also losing out on revenue due to illegal connections. Are you cracking down on them? How many connections have been regularised?

We are identifying illegal connections across the city and have detected about 52,000 of them so far. Following notices and subsequent correspondences, 26,000 such connections have been regularised and fines collected. The rest are in the progress of regularisation. We have been taking the BMTF’s help to crack down on illegal and unauthorised connections.

The BWSSB is often criticised for digging well-laid roads and not restoring them later. Why can’t you work in tandem with other agencies?

There are no problems of coordination. A coordination committed headed by the chief secretary meets every fortnight and and chalks out plans. Also, we do not dig roads without a purpose. We pay the BBMP for restoring the roads. There may be some isolated cases where we don’t wait for the BBMP permission and plug the water leakage immediately.