Dipping KRS water level worries BWSSB

The fast-receding water level at the Krishnaraja Sagara (KRS) reservoir coupled with poor inflow into the dam has set off alarm bells among Bangalore Water Supply and Sewage Board (BWSSB) officials.

If monsoon doesn’t pick up in the coming days, Bengaluru could be staring at a severe shortage of drinking water as the KRS is the main source of water for the megacity.

Sources in the BWSSB told DH that the current water level in the dam was enough to quench the thirst of Bengalureans till July. But if the monsoon continues to be poor, Bengaluru will be in trouble. As on Friday, the water level at KRS stood at 79.77 ft as against 105.63 ft on the same day in 2018.

“In 2018, the entire Cauvery basin received bounteous rains beyond expectations, resulting in heavy inflow into all four major reservoirs,” Kemparamaiah, Engineer-in-Chief, BWSSB told DH.

“But this year, even though the monsoon has set in over Karnataka, rains have not been promising till date. With the current water level at KRS, we can supply water till July.”

Currently, the BWSSB on daily basis supplies about 145 crore litres of water across Bengaluru to 9.75 lakh water connections.

“It is too early for us to take any call at this juncture. We will wait until the next month. If the monsoon fails, only then we will think about the alternative,” he said.