Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB).
Credit: Special Arrangement
Bengaluru: To reduce dependence on freshwater, the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) is planning to incentivise bulk users who efficiently reuse treated water.
BWSSB Chairman Ramprasad Manohar V, who met bulk users in the city, said that there was an urgent need to tap into alternate water sources. Apartment complexes, defence establishments, and commercial buildings, he said, should install a second pipeline for treated water.
"Bengaluru gets 35 TMC of Cauvery water annually. However, this is insufficient for the city’s 1.5 crore population. Groundwater levels have also plunged from 200 feet to 1,000 feet. Hence, there is an urgent need to reuse treated water. We will soon plan an incentive programme for users who practise treated water reuse,” Manohar said.
Sources said that the BWSSB was considering water tariff discounts for such users.
Use of solar power
Manohar said that the BWSSB planned to shift at least 80% of its operations to solar power to reduce electricity costs.
“The Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (Bescom) supplies us power at Rs 6.5 per unit. Over the last 11 years, power tariffs have risen four times, and 70% of the BWSSB’s expenditure goes towards power bills. We are, therefore, planning to shift to green energy,” he said.
New water sources
Ramprasad said that the government was exploring options to draw water from other rivers and sources for Bengaluru. "The government is giving serious thought to getting water from other rivers and sources,” he said.