The BWSSB cautions people against water overuse to prevent water shortages in the city.
Story so far: With summer around the corner, the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) said that the city has an adequate water supply for the citizens’ needs. The main city areas are less likely to be affected. The city’s peripheral areas that closely depend on borewells might suffer since many of them have dried up.
- The city receives 1,450 MLD of water from the Kaveri river. Approximately 500 MLD of water is drawn from 15,000 public borewells.
- Activists implicate the BWSSB in increasing the city’s dependence on borewells by failing to lay pipelines. According to them, around 60% of Bengaluru depends on borewells to meet their water needs.
Why this matters? In any urban city in India, summers are a time for mango juice and potential water shortages. With the BWSSB’s limited water supply and drying up of borewells, citizens need to be wary of over-consuming water. Water conservationists suggest that the BWSSB’s water should be used only for drinking and cooking.
Fines: The BWSSB reports collecting almost ₹1 crore per month in fines from households that have failed to implement Rainwater Harvesting (RWH) systems. Presently, 43,000 houses are yet to install them.