Bengaluru (Karnataka): Following a review of the city's water supply during a meeting on Monday, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah stated that Bengaluru is experiencing a 500 million liters per day (MLD) shortfall.
“There are 14,000 borewells, of which 6,900 have dried. Water bodies have been encroached or died. Bengaluru needs 2,600 MLD water. Out of this, 1,470 MLD comes from Cauvery river and 650 MLD from borewells. We have a shortage of about 500 MLD,” the CM said.
According to Siddaramaiah, the Cauvery Five project, which is scheduled to start in June of this year, will assist in resolving Bengaluru's water issue. With plenty of drinking water stored in the Cauvery and Kabini reservoirs, the CM guaranteed adequate water availability through the end of June.
“We have enough storage of drinking water in Cauvery and Kabini, which is sufficient to last till June. There is 11.04 TMC water storage in KRS, 9.02 TMC in Kabini.” The government will drill bore wells at 313 places and 1,200 inactive bore wells will be revived, he added.
After Cauvery Phase 5 work is finished by the end of June, Bengaluru will receive an additional supply of 775 MLD of water. It would be distributed to the 110 villages that were added to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike boundaries a few years ago, he said. There is not enough water in half of these settlements, he claimed.
According to the CM, the government would establish an expert committee to make sure that there is never another case of water scarcity. He further stated that the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board and the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) will be held accountable for any water shortages.
Siddaramaiah has also instructed officials to raise Bengaluru's key lakes' groundwater levels by adding purified water to them. He has ordered for the utilisation of private tankers in slum and borewell-dependent areas.
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