Bengaluru water crisis: Govt earmarks Rs 556 crore, readies action plan

State Deputy CM DK Shivakumar, who chaired a meeting with officials from the BBMP and BWSSB, said the government is also identifying areas around Bengaluru to transport water.

Bengaluru: The government has drawn up comprehensive plan to tackle the impending drinking water scarcity and allocated Rs 556 crore for the purpose, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said on Monday.

“I have instructed the MLAs to utilise their grants of Rs 10 crore for relevant projects. The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has also allocated Rs 148 crore, while the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB0 has earmarked Rs 128 crore to mitigate the situation. We have devised a detailed action plan for the next three months,” Shivakumar said.  

Shivakumar, who chaired a meeting with officials from the BBMP and BWSSB, said the government is also identifying areas around Bengaluru to transport water.

“I have asked the officials to study water sources and groundwater levels in the areas surrounding Bengaluru.

“Be it Ramanagara, Magadi, Nelamangala, Hoskote, Anekal, or any other taluk, we will request the farmers and transport water,” he said, reminding that no one can claim ownership over water, a government resource.

Bescom linemen have been tasked with identifying and assessing borewells to ascertain available water sources accurately, while the government has also appealed to the Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) to spare unused milk tankers to ferry water after cleaning. Presently, around 210 tankers under the BWSSB are operational to alleviate water shortages.

To enhance citizen engagement, the BBMP and BWSSB plan to establish ward-level war rooms and announce ward-specific helplines for water-related issues.

Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar chaired a meeting with officials from the BBMP and BWSSB on Monday.

47.3% borewells dry

Ahead of peak summer, official data reveals that 47.3% of the city’s borewells have dried up.

Shivakumar presented statistics indicating that out of approximately 14,781 borewells, 6,997 have depleted.

The BWSSB is undertaking measures to rejuvenate some borewells and drill 313 new ones in areas with higher groundwater levels.

Tanker registration lags behind

Despite the government’s seven-day deadline for water tanker registration with the BBMP, only 10 per cent have complied within the last three days.

With an estimated 3,500 tankers operating in the city, merely 219 have registered.

Shivakumar warned of seizing unregistered vehicles after March 7 and assured discussions with tanker owners to establish fair pricing to prevent exploitation.