Bengaluru, 14 MAR

On March 14, Karnataka’s Deputy Chief Minister and Bengaluru Urban Development Minister, DK Shivakumar, announced in the legislative council that the water tariff would be increased by 1 paisa per litre. He clarified that while the Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) had proposed a rate hike of 7-8 paise, only 1 paisa would be implemented for now.

Shivakumar explained that the water tariff had not been raised since 2014, and the BWSSB’s rising electricity bills necessitated this increase. The tariff adjustment is expected to help reduce the board’s annual loss of approximately ₹1,000 crore. He also highlighted that many builders have illegally taken water connections and said, “Builders have constructed large apartment complexes without paying deposits to the BWSSB and have illegally taken water connections. Notices have already been issued to these builders, he added.

The Deputy Chief Minister was responding to Congress MLC Ramoji Gowda, who had urged the government to expedite the supply of Cauvery water to households ahead of the approaching summer. We had a difficult year last year. As many as 7000 borewells had dried up and hence the government had taken over private water tankers. We have executed Cauvery 5th stage which is providing water to 110 villages. March 22 is Water conservation day and the government has decided to observe a month-long campaign to create awareness about water conservation,” the DCM said.

Shivakumar further emphasized that March 22 would be observed as Water Conservation Day, and the government had decided to launch a month-long awareness campaign to promote water conservation. "Today marks the beginning of Water Conservation Day, and we urge everyone to actively participate in this important campaign. Public involvement is crucial to ensuring the success of our water conservation efforts," he said.