BENGALURU: Soon, the Bannerghatta Biological Park (BBP) will get potable drinking water from the Cauvery river. However, the piped water will not be used for the animals, but will be for visitors and staffers.The proposal has got in-principal clearance from the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) and now, the official government order is awaited. According to BWSSB, the order is likely to be issued only after the model code of conduct for the upcoming bypolls is lifted.
If agreed, it will be first time ever that any zoo in the state will get adequate supply of piped drinking water. “There is a need for 1.5 lakh litres of water every day as over 4,000 people visit the zoo on weekdays and the number goes up on weekends and holidays. There are three reverse osmosis plants also. So far, water from borewells is being used for animals and treated water for drinking purposes. But to ensure there is no depletion in groundwater levels, it was proposed that Cauvery water be supplied to the zoo,” said a BBP official.
Funds will not be an issue for BWSSB as the zoo management has agreed to bear the cost. The agency already has a plan to draw its pipes till Bannerghatta Circle (near the police station). From there till the park, an extra connection will be needed. It is also the right time to lay pipes, as the road leading to the zoo was also up for widening, he added.
Cauvery water will also be utilised for the Jungle Lodges and Resorts and Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation (KSTDC) canteens on the zoo premises. “Apart from supplying Cauvery water, zoo management is also in talks with private firms to procure superior quality RO plants like the ones at Hyderabad zoo,” the official added.