Techies hit ‘Escape’, leave for hometowns amid water crisis in Bengaluru

Bengaluru: In a striking sign of urban distress, many technology professionals are temporarily leaving the city. The cause: an acute water shortage that has made daily life unsustainable for many on the city’s periphery.

This crisis has pushed residents like Sumantha, an employee at a multinational corporation, to seek refuge in his ancestral home in Mysuru, leaving behind the conveniences and connections of the IT hub.

Sumantha, residing in Ayyappa Nagar, KR Puram, and his wife faced a severe water shortage in their apartment complex, struggling even for the most basic necessities.

“The water crisis forced us to move temporarily. Despite this, we’re still paying a hefty monthly rent of Rs 25,000 for a flat we cannot live in,” Sumantha explained.

His situation is further complicated by his employer’s no work-from-home policy, necessitating occasional stays with friends in South Bengaluru, where water scarcity is less severe, to attend office meetings.

Anita Srinivas, another IT professional affected by the crisis, has opted for a more permanent solution by moving to Mumbai, where she owns a second home. “Our dependency on borewells, now dried up, and the wait for water tankers made our situation in Bengaluru untenable,” she said, highlighting the dire circumstances that forced her decision.

The crisis, largely attributed to the rampant drying up of borewells, a critical water source for many in Bengaluru, has affected over 3000 borewells, including one at the residence of Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar.

Residents like Rashmi Ravindran, who relied on borewell water for over 15 years, are now facing acute shortages and community tensions over water distribution. 

“We have lived in Bengaluru for 15 years now and never faced such an acute water shortage. We live in an independent 30x40 house in Banaswadi. We depend on borewell water. The borewell that supplies water has lost its depth with very little water,” she added. 

“The neighbours have started fighting to get water to their homes and fixing valves in front of their houses. The water flow pressure is so low that nobody gets enough.” Now, she is contemplating moving back to their house in Wayanad and putting up their Bangalore house as a PG. 

The ones who already have a place in Bengaluru and can afford to move out are considering doing that. Others who have yet to buy a house are reconsidering their decisions. 

A resident staying on a high-rise in the Haralur area said they had considered buying a property here earlier, but now they vow not to get any property in this “swanky” place. 

“I have never been in such a situation in my life. I didn’t go to the toilet today because there was no water in my washroom. I am paying Rs 40,000 rent for a 2BHK, and I can’t get water,” they told Citizens Movement, a Bangalore-based NGO, who shared it on X (previously Twitter). 

“When water came in the morning for 30 minutes, I couldn’t take it as I was sleeping. I cannot wake up early as I work night shifts,” they added.