Bengaluru, often dubbed ‘India’s Silicon Valley,’ is grappling with an acute water shortage months ahead of the peak summer season. Residents across the city are being forced to ration water usage and are facing steep increases in water prices as they strive to meet daily needs.
The city, home to approximately 14 million people and a hub for thousands of IT companies and start-ups, has been hit hard by insufficient southwest monsoon rains. This has led to a significant drop in groundwater levels and reduced water levels in the Cauvery River basin reservoirs, the primary sources of Bengaluru’s water supply.
Many residents are now paying almost double the usual price for water delivered by tankers. In some areas, the cost of a 12,000-liter water tanker has surged from 1,200 rupees ($14.47) to as much as 2,000 rupees ($24.11) within a month.
“We now need to book water tankers two days in advance,” said Santhosh C.A., a resident of the Horamavu area in north Bengaluru. “My plants are dying, and I’m taking alternate-day showers.”
The situation is expected to worsen in the coming months. “The worry now is that despite paying, the tanker vendors won’t show up due to scarcity of groundwater,” expressed another concerned resident.
The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB), responsible for the city’s water supply, sources most of its water from the Cauvery River. The river originates at Talakaveri in Karnataka and flows through neighboring Tamil Nadu before emptying into the Bay of Bengal.
In response to the growing crisis, the BWSSB has appealed to authorities for additional water from the Cauvery basin to bolster supplies in the coming months, according to a letter reviewed by Reuters.
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'India's Silicon Valley' Bengaluru suffers from water shortage
cgtn.com
