Advisor to Chief Minister on Urban Affairs A Ravindra on Thursday said there is a need to set up a Water Regulatory Authority on the lines of Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) to address various issues, including fixing water tariff.
Speaking at a workshop on ‘Strengthening Participatory Approaches in Urban Water Supply and Sewerage in Karnataka’ organised by British High Commission in association with urban local bodies, Ravindra said the regulatory body would check political interference while fixing tariff.
“In Bangalore, water tariff has not been revised for many years due to political pressure. Fixing tariff is a biggest problem. BWSSB is incurring more expenses than revenue. If we fail to revise water tariff regularly, it is sure to become an additional burden on consumers,” he said.
Ravindra favoured public participation especially while implementing schemes like 24x7 water supply. With the implementation of Cauver IV Stage water works, Bangalore has been able to get sufficient water supply, he said.
“I will not rule out chaos in the coming years if our people fail to use water judiciously. Gone are the days of depending on the Cauvery water due to ceiling on taking up any new project. The distribution of water is not satisfactory. There is a need to have a check on public taps to stop wastage of water. Bangalore requires to take a firm step to conserve water failing which the situation may become worse in the future,” he said.
While rain water harvesting could help, awareness needs to be created among the people. The government should be firm on making it mandatory. Even the cooperation of citizens is a must to make rain water harvesting mission successful, he said.