Bengaluru: Bengaluru city needs 2,600 million litres of water daily (MLD) and is short by about 500 MLD, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said on Monday.
Addressing the media after he met government and Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) officials, Siddaramaiah said: "The city needs 2,600 MLD of water for both drinking and industrial purposes.”
“Of this, 1,450 MLD is being provided by the Cauvery river and 650 MLD is being provided by borewells in the city. There is a shortage of 500 MLD of water,” he added.
He said the government will form an expert committee to put an end to the crisis in the future. Authorities have deployed 143 task force teams to stop wastage of water and will add more. Citizens can file complaints of water wastage on the helpline 1916 or on WhatsApp. The chief minister assured that complaints received will be addressed immediately.
Siddaramaiah mentioned that 6,900 borewells in the city out of 14,000 have dried up and 55 out of the 110 villages added to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) are facing water crisis. He assured that the Cauvery Stage V project will be completed by the end of June to ensure 775 MLD is available to meet the needs of the 110 villages.
Authorities will dig new borewells in 313 spots and rejuvenate 1,200 of them. Officials are working in slums, high grounds, and with those dependent on borewell water in 110 villages to ensure they do not face a shortage.
Private tankers, including those from the Karnataka Milk Federation, have been directed to supply water. “I have instructed officials to increase the groundwater level by filling important lakes in the city with treated water,” he said.
Published 18 March 2024, 23:28 IST