Bengaluru, 9 Jan

Over the past month, key areas in the City such as KR Puram, Sarjapura, Chamrajpet and Malleswaram have been grappling with severe water shortage. Residents claim that they are experiencing a week-long delay in the Cauvery water supply, which was previously supplied every alternate day.

Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) received 10,491 complaints of water scarcity in December, 2023, and 2,387 just between 1 and 6 January.

Bengalureans claim that there is a six to seven days' delay in supply, and in some places it stretches up to 15 days.

The water shortage is due to a lack of adequate rainfall that has led to decreased levels in the Cauvery river and Mysuru's Krishna Raja Sagar (KRS) Dam. "Bengaluru gets 1,450 million litres of Cauvery water per day from KRS Dam, but in the past month the City has just received 1,110 million litres per day," said Vinay Kumar, BWSSB Assistant Executive Engineer.

The water shortage has forced the residents to turn to water tankers. With the surge in demand, the tankers are now charging a lot more. Umar Faruq, the owner of Kaveri Tank supply vehicle told Salar News, "Previously, 4,000 litres of water costed Rs 500 but now it is Rs 650. For 6,000 litres, the charge has risen to around Rs 900 from the earlier Rs 800."

Hike in water bills too

Along with scarcity, Seshadripuram and Guttahalli residents are forced to pay higher Cauvery water bills too.

Dhananjay Gowda, a resident from Seshadripuram, alleged that while his water consumption remained consistent, the monthly bill surged from Rs 600 to Rs 800.

Bharat S, the owner of a men's PG from Seshadripuram 2nd Cross said that in November 2023 he received a water bill of Rs 2,626 but in December he was charged Rs 8,090 (in pic).

Parvathi Ramesh, also from the area, said she paid Rs 536 in November but Rs 1,532 in December. "What will citizens do if these prices keep increasing? The government is exploiting loopholes by imposing taxes on people through the water bill."

While Below Poverty Line (BPL) cardholders get Cauvery water for free, those living in the slums of Srirampura are left waiting for water. "We don't receive the water bill as it is waived off, but we are experiencing water scarcity. In November, water used to come every alternate day, but since December, water is supplied only once a week,” Rajesh HN told Salar News.