<p>Bengaluru: Nearly 2.76 lakh new connections have been added to the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board’s purview since 2014, and the revenue demand (the total amount billed) has increased by nearly 38%, indicating that the rapid growth and influx of people into Bengaluru has drastically increased the demand for water in the city.</p>.<p>Data accessed by DH reveals that there were 7.77 lakh connections in 2014, which increased to 10.53 lakh by September 2024.</p>.<p>With respect to the revenue demand, in 2015-16, the BWSSB’s revenue demand stood at Rs 1,084.18 crore, and this increased to Rs 1,489.07 crore by 2023-24. The revenue demand for 2024-25 is yet to be declared, but sources suggest it might have crossed Rs 1,500 crore. Given that there has been no tariff revision in the last 10 years, the rising revenue demand directly reflects the increasing demand for water.</p>.Tariff hike necessary, now improve services.<p><strong>Cauvery project</strong> </p>.<p>The Cauvery Stage IV project, which aimed at bringing 500 MLD of additional water to the city, was commissioned in October 2012. Officials said this expanded the board’s consumer base, as the project catered to many City Municipal Councils (CMC) that were added to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) limits in 2007.</p>.<p>An official noted that the BWSSB’s efforts to reduce Unaccounted-for Water (UfW) —water lost during supply — have helped divert more water into the distribution network, thereby increasing the revenue demand.</p>.<p>Owing to the growing demand, the BWSSB in October 2024 commissioned the Cauvery Stage V project, which provides an additional 775 MLD to meet the needs of residents in the 110 villages that came under the BBMP jurisdiction in 2008.</p>.<p>While the BWSSB’s rising revenue points to increased use of Cauvery water, it has not been enough to quench the city’s thirst.</p>.<p>Even today, Bengaluru continues to over-exploit groundwater, drawing 187% of its annual reserves through borewells, according to the Dynamic Groundwater Resource Assessment–2024, jointly released by the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) and the Karnataka Ground Water Directorate (GWD), leaving the city highly vulnerable to a water crisis.</p>.<p><strong>Need to look beyond Cauvery: Expert</strong> </p>.<p>While the BWSSB has been trying to draw more water from the Cauvery to meet increasing demand, experts opine that efficient use of available water is key.</p>.<p>“With Cauvery Stage V and considering the groundwater available, Bengaluru has close to 3,100 MLD of water to quench our thirst. The ideal litres per capita per day (lpcd) is 100, meaning each person should use only 100 litres per day. If we calculate at this rate, the available water can quench the thirst of 30 million people— far more than the city’s population,” said S Vishwanath, rainwater harvesting pioneer.</p>
<p>Bengaluru: Nearly 2.76 lakh new connections have been added to the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board’s purview since 2014, and the revenue demand (the total amount billed) has increased by nearly 38%, indicating that the rapid growth and influx of people into Bengaluru has drastically increased the demand for water in the city.</p>.<p>Data accessed by DH reveals that there were 7.77 lakh connections in 2014, which increased to 10.53 lakh by September 2024.</p>.<p>With respect to the revenue demand, in 2015-16, the BWSSB’s revenue demand stood at Rs 1,084.18 crore, and this increased to Rs 1,489.07 crore by 2023-24. The revenue demand for 2024-25 is yet to be declared, but sources suggest it might have crossed Rs 1,500 crore. Given that there has been no tariff revision in the last 10 years, the rising revenue demand directly reflects the increasing demand for water.</p>.Tariff hike necessary, now improve services.<p><strong>Cauvery project</strong> </p>.<p>The Cauvery Stage IV project, which aimed at bringing 500 MLD of additional water to the city, was commissioned in October 2012. Officials said this expanded the board’s consumer base, as the project catered to many City Municipal Councils (CMC) that were added to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) limits in 2007.</p>.<p>An official noted that the BWSSB’s efforts to reduce Unaccounted-for Water (UfW) —water lost during supply — have helped divert more water into the distribution network, thereby increasing the revenue demand.</p>.<p>Owing to the growing demand, the BWSSB in October 2024 commissioned the Cauvery Stage V project, which provides an additional 775 MLD to meet the needs of residents in the 110 villages that came under the BBMP jurisdiction in 2008.</p>.<p>While the BWSSB’s rising revenue points to increased use of Cauvery water, it has not been enough to quench the city’s thirst.</p>.<p>Even today, Bengaluru continues to over-exploit groundwater, drawing 187% of its annual reserves through borewells, according to the Dynamic Groundwater Resource Assessment–2024, jointly released by the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) and the Karnataka Ground Water Directorate (GWD), leaving the city highly vulnerable to a water crisis.</p>.<p><strong>Need to look beyond Cauvery: Expert</strong> </p>.<p>While the BWSSB has been trying to draw more water from the Cauvery to meet increasing demand, experts opine that efficient use of available water is key.</p>.<p>“With Cauvery Stage V and considering the groundwater available, Bengaluru has close to 3,100 MLD of water to quench our thirst. The ideal litres per capita per day (lpcd) is 100, meaning each person should use only 100 litres per day. If we calculate at this rate, the available water can quench the thirst of 30 million people— far more than the city’s population,” said S Vishwanath, rainwater harvesting pioneer.</p>