Drinking water comes at a premium in City!

Drinking water comes at a premium in City!
Deccan Herald

The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) is finding it hard to supply Cauvery water through its pipelines due to low pressure in reservoirs.

Cauvery water is becoming scarce for Bangaloreans. Even money power is not helping consumers get sufficient water for their daily needs.

The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) is finding it hard to supply Cauvery water through its pipelines due to low pressure in reservoirs. Result: Consumers are forced to purchase water from BWSSB tankers and private agencies.

According to BWSSB, the demand for tanker water has doubled in the last two weeks. On an average, 90 tanks of water is being supplied in the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike limits each day. Water is being supplied free of cost through pipelines wherever supply has been affected due to low pressure. BWSSB is also selling water on demand.

“There are days when we have supplied 180 tanks of water. We charge Rs 250 for 6,000 litres of drinking water; for non-domestic purposes, it is Rs 350”, says Mr Venkataraju, Chief Executive Engineer (Maintenance).

Private agencies are making profit by selling water. Krishmamurthy of Muneshwara Water Supply, RT Nagar, supplies 8 to 10 tanks, each carrying 6,000 litres, of water every day. He charges Rs 250 to Rs 300 per tank depending on the distance.

The demand has increased in the last one month, he says. Earlier, the demand was for 4-5 loads a day.

Rajagopala Reddy, owner of Lakshmi Narasimha Water Suppliers, which caters to water needs of Sadashivanagar, Shivajinagar, RT Nagar and adjacent localities, too says the demand has increased in the last one month. “Water suppliers, who used to supply an average of five loads a day, have been selling around 15 tanks a day now.”

He says people who have taken up construction work are demanding more water as they have to pay more for Cauvery water for construction purposes. Similarly, the demand from apartments and other residential localities has also increased due to disruption in BWSSB supply.

Reddy said private suppliers having borewells and vehicles are making merry. “Water levels are depleting in borewells as summer has set in. This is one of the reasons for increase in the demand. We will sell water as long as water is available in our borewells,” he says.

Sudheendra, owner of a hotel in Malleswaram, says water supplied by BWSSB on alternate days is not sufficient. “BWSSB supplies water at night. Moreover, there is no scheduled supply. Whenever we have a shortage, we purchase water from private water suppliers,” he says.



Official version

BWSSB officials blame it on power fluctuation for decrease in the quantum of water supplied to the City. Cauvery water is brought to the City through three pumping stations at TK Halli, Harohalli and Tataguni.

These stations require power supply throughout the day at the rate of 50 cycles per second to carry 810 MLD of water. Even a minor power fluctuation can affect water distribution. On such occasions, demand for water increases, said an official.



Parched days ahead

With the onset of summer, consumption of water will increase as people prefer to take up construction during this season. Besides, gardening requires more water. “To meet these demands, the City needs 1,400 MLD of water, but BWSSB can’t get more than 810 MLD. The City’s thirst must be satiated by the amount of water available, said an official.