The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Chief Commissioner Tushar Giri Nath directed officials to dig borewells in 58 areas which are reeling under drinking water crisis. Mr. Giri Nath said ₹131 crore has been disbursed to dig borewells in Mahadevapura, R.R. Nagar, Bommanahalli, Dasarahalli, and Yelahanka including 110 villages.
He was speaking after a coordination meeting held with Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) and BBMP which was chaired by Additional Chief Secretary (ACS), Urban Development Department, Rakesh Singh.
Mr. Giri Nath said that they had identified 58 areas in the city that suffer from acute water crisis. Of the 58, 16 are in Mahadevapura, 25 in R.R. Nagar, five in Bommanahalli and three each in Yelahanka and Dasarahalli zones. He directed the officials to call tenders to dig borewells to supply water. He also told the BWSSB officials to dig borewells in Reverse Osmosis (RO) plants to keep the supply to the units intact.
BWSSB Chairman Ram Prasath Manohar said that there were 10,995 government borewells in the city and of them, water levels had decreased in 3,700 borewells and 1,214 borewells had completely dried up. He further said that BWSSB had identified 257 dry spots in the city, where drinking water had become a problem and was taking measures to supply water to these areas through water tankers. Apart from 68 water tankers the BWSSB presently has, they have rented over 200 more tankers and are in the process of buying 18 more, he said. He informed that for 110 villages, 40,000 water supply connections are provided and tankers are also being used.
Meanwhile, the city needs 9.48 tmcft of water from Cauvery between February and July 2024, which the city’s civic agencies hope will be prioritised and provided for.
