Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Monday said that capital city Bengaluru is facing a shortage of around 500 million litres of water per day versus the requirement of 2,600 million litres of water per day (MLD). As per Siddaramaiah, 1,470 MLD water comes from Cauvery river and 650 MLD is sourced from borewells.
“There are 14,000 borewells, of which 6,900 have dried. Water bodies have been encroached or died. Bengaluru needs 2,600 MLD water. Out of this, 1,470 MLD comes from Cauvery river and 650 MLD from borewells. We have a shortage of about 500 MLD,” the Chief Minister was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
Siddaramaiah said that the Cauvery Five project, which will begin in June this year, will help resolve the water crisis in Bengaluru. The CM ensured sufficient water availability until June end, with ample drinking water storage in Cauvery and Kabini reservoirs.
“We have enough storage of drinking water in Cauvery and Kabini, which is sufficient to last till June. There is 11.04 TMC water storage in KRS, 9.02 TMC in Kabini,” he said. Siddaramaiah further said the government will drill borewells at 313 places and 1,200 inactive borewells will be revived.
Meanwhile, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has directed officials to increase the groundwater level by filling major lakes in Bengaluru with treated water. He mentioned that instructions have been given to replenish the city's lakes such as KC Valley and refill 14 other major dried-up lakes.
This move is expected to help recharge groundwater in bore wells. As part of the KC Valley project, sewage from Bengaluru undergoes secondary treatment to replenish lakes in Kolar and Chikkaballapur districts. The project's first phase has already refilled 143 lakes in Kolar at a cost of Rs 1,342 crore. The second phase will cover 276 lakes, estimated at Rs 455 crore.
He also addressed the issue of drying public borewells and planned to drill new bore wells in 313 locations and revive 1,200 inactive ones. He instructed the utilisation of private tankers in slum and borewell-dependent areas.
The CM also emphasised the need for enhanced control rooms and swift response to water supply complaints. He advised against using drinking water in parks and urged the use of treated water. Measures to prevent water wastage were also highlighted.
The CM directed an increase in task force numbers to prevent water misuse and urged the prompt resolution of complaints through helpline number 1916. He also announced the allocation of adequate funds for drinking water and plans to form an expert committee to prevent future water shortages.
Moreover, the district administration has fixed rates for 200 private tankers for a four-month period as Bengaluru residents are forced to buy more water. Around 60 per cent of Bengaluru's population depends on tanker water.
These rates are applicable along with GST. For a 5 km distance, a 6,000-litre water tanker will cost Rs 600. An 8,000-litre and 12,000-litre water tanker will cost Rs 700 and Rs 1,000 respectively.
For distances beyond 5 km and 10 km, a 6,000-litre tanker has been fixed at Rs 750. An 8,000-litre and a 12,00-litre water tanker will cost Rs 850 and Rs 1,200 respectively.