Bengaluru water crisis: With no end in sight, city scrambles to save water

Bengaluru is facing one of the water crises in years due to poor rainfall last year, what IMD has attributed as the El Nino effect

The water crisis in Bengaluru seems to be getting worse. According to media reports, despite the city administration's intervention to stabilise inflating tanker water rates, the high demand for water tankers is leading to shortages of water supply. 

Karnataka, especially its capital city, is facing one of the worst water crises in recent years due to poor rainfall in 2023. The Indian Meteorology Department (IMD) attributed the scanty rains to the El Nino effect.

The primary water sources for Bengaluru are Cauvery river and groundwater. But, with the shortfall in rain in recent times, these sources have been pushed to their limits. Bengaluru needs 2,600-2,800 million litres of water daily, and the current supply is half of what's required. 

 

Water tankers running frequently on Bengaluru roads have become a common sight. In these challenging times, due to excess demand, water suppliers started charging double-than-regular prices. The authorities responded with fixed rates for tankers supplying water to residential areas.

However, many residents' welfare associations still complain that the capping of water prices per tanker hasn't been effective, as the water suppliers are still charging exorbitant prices. And people in need of water are forced to pay what is asked, afraid to antagonise the water suppliers.

Civic authorities in Bengaluru recently decided to fill the drying lakes with 1,300 million litres per day of treated water to replenish groundwater sources in the city, to bring the nearly 50 per cent of the dried up borewells back to life. They also announced the construction of water plants in association with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), using innovative technologies near the restored lake beds to supply water after testing.

The crisis has affected all life in the city, from industries and schools to IT companies. Several citizens had earlier taken to social media to urge Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to make work-from-home mandatory for IT companies. 

Companies are themselves scrambling to somehow manage the situation. Co-working space provider Urban Vault, for instance, installed smart water meters to detect leakage. Many companies have taken to providing water efficiency education and training to its soft service employees to raise awareness about the importance of water conservation.

To deal with the problem of drying taps, people of Bengaluru have resorted to various methods ranging from installing water-saving aerators on taps to using cans for washing hands and dishes. 

But for now, there doesn't seem to be any end in sight. Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar had said that water scarcity was the reason the state government pushed for the Mekedatu balancing reservoir project across the Cauvery river in Kanakapura in Ramanagara district.

However, the neighbouring Tamil Nadu government, which often locks horns with Karnataka over Cauvery water sharing, has opposed the Mekedatu project.