May demand up, BWSSB mulls tankers to pump Cauvery water

Bengaluru: For the first time, the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) is planning to get water in tankers from pumping stations under the Cauvery Stage V project.

While the project will be fully commissioned by May-end, the BWSSB wants to utilise water from pumping stations to meet the increase in demand during May.

BWSSB chairman Ramprasat Manohar V said getting water into the city would be easy if they were able to pump water to either Tataguni or Harohalli pumping stations. “The water treatment plants will be ready by April-end and we will be able to pump water. However, owing to last-mile pipeline connectivity issues, we may not be able to supply water to households. If we could get water till Tataguni or Harohalli stations, we can easily carry that into the city using tankers,” he told DH.

Manohar added that this was just one of the many plans that were being chalked out to be implemented if the condition in May worsens. 

“Since the city is witnessing a long dry spell, more borewells might turn defunct in May and this may increase the dependency on Cauvery water, driving the demand up. Hence, we are drawing out plans to ensure there is no shortage,” he said. 

Depending on the needs of the city, the BWSSB may draw out 30-40 MLD of water from the pumping stations. 

“We were able to keep the water crisis under control by promoting water-saving measures and increasing the consumption of treated water. However, even after all these measures, if there is a shortage in May, we will have to explore other water sources and since the Cauvery Stage V project is almost complete, we can use the resources from there,” he said. 

Apart from this, the BWSSB is also planning to get at least 10 MLD water from Hesaraghatta Lake which at present has close to 0.3 tmc water. 

The BWSSB has also been able to save significantly by cutting down the supply of water to bulk consumers by 20%, pushing the use of
treated water, and implementing water-saving measures such as the use of aerators for taps.

So far, these measures have helped the board save at least 300 MLD of water and redistribute it to areas with scarcity.