BENGALURU, 20 MARCH

Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) has issued an order prohibiting using Cauvery water and borewell water for pool parties and rain dances during Holi festival. This decision comes amid the water crisis faced by Bengaluru and aims to conserve water resources in the City.

Earlier this month, BWSSB also banned the use of drinking water for non-essential purposes like cleaning vehicles, gardening, and recreation.

Violation of the BWSSB order attracts a penalty of Rs 5,000. Despite the restrictions, some establishments are planning to host Holi events with pool parties. However, they claim to be using stored groundwater for these events to avoid using drinking water. For example, Hotel Davanam Sarovar Portico Suites on Hosur Road told Salar News that they will not have rain dance but will proceed with the pool party using stored groundwater.

Similarly, 'Rang De Bengaluru,' an open-air Holi party at Gokulam Grand Hotel and Spa in Jalahalli, said they harvest rainwater for the event and will use it instead of Cauvery water or borewell water. They assured that they would make necessary changes if the government raised any concerns.

However, some Holi events, like the Whitefield Biggest Holi Festival at Aloft Bengaluru, have opted to remove rain dance from their celebrations this year and plan to focus solely on celebrating with colours.

On Monday, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said of the required quantity of water for Bengaluru, 1,470 million litres per day (MLD) of water are sourced from Cauvery river, while an additional 650 MLD is sourced from borewells. However, due to severe water shortage, 6,900 borewells out of the 14,000 in the City have dried up.