Bengaluru water crisis deepens as all borewells go dry

BENGALURU, Karnataka: Bengaluru is grappling with an acute water crisis due to depleting groundwater levels and a drought in the Cauvery basin. Around 100 taluks in Karnataka have been facing severe drinking water crisis and tankers have been pressed into service to supply water to residents.

Shortage of drinking water is being supplied to 96 wards of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and 250 tankers have been deployed to mitigate drinking water requirements of the city.

The increasing demand has led to soaring prices of water tankers in the IT hub and forced the state government in Karnataka to step in to regulate supply.

The Chief Minister of Karnataka, Siddaramaiah, took stock of the situation by holding a video conference with Deputy Commissioner and Chief Executive Officers of Zila parishads and said 98 out of 236 taluks have been facing drinking water crisis owing to drought.

The State had declared 223 taluks as drought-hit.

CM further stated, “It is estimated that 7,408 villages and 1,115 wards in urban local bodies would face drinking water shortage. Agreements have been signed with owners of private bore wells to supply water to drought hit villages and towns.”

The officials have been ordered to take steps for water supply in villages and towns through repair of government borewells, hiring of private borewells, and use of tankers.  They have also been ordered to respond to the grievances of people by closely monitoring the social media tools.