As Bengaluru is likely to partially shut down due to the bandh called on Tuesday to protest against the government releasing Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu, there is a dark shadow of a drinking water crisis looming over the city.
A bad monsoon has already led to the drying up of borewells across the city, especially in the outer zones which have been looking forward to getting Cauvery water supply from January 2024, which seems unlikely now. The prices of tanker water have already shot up by a large margin and it is only September and the city is dependent on the fast-depleting Cauvery river water till next monsoon in June 2024.
Rakesh Singh, Additional Chief Secretary (ACS), Urban Development Department (UDD) and Water Resources Department, said that there was sufficient water for the city’s drinking water needs till the next summer and it won’t be a problem.
