BENGALURU: With summer fast approaching, the Water Board is gearing up to meet any e challenges Bengalureans could face due to possible water shortage.Readying private tankers to be utilised, setting right public borewells which are in a state of disrepair and forming squads to keep a tab on different areas are some of the measures.As on date, 1,450 Million litres of water are pumped daily to the City from Thorekadanahalli reservoir, covering a distance of nearly 100 km.
Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) chairman N Jayaram told The New Indian Express, “This is the maximum quantity we can pump on a single day. So, we are keeping other options ready to face any possible shortage. We have 63 tankers with us to supply water to needy areas. In addition, we have a list of private water tanker suppliers being readied that could be used by us in case of any emergency.”
B Suresh, Chief Engineer, Design, said top priority was being accorded to ensuring that borewells function well. “Out of the 9,167 public borewells, 611 have gone defunct. We are ensuring that the rest function well so that Bengalureans will not have water shortage. Flushing, setting right motors, electric equipment, laying of 5 feet pipes are among the tasks we are carrying out across the City,” he said.
Somashekhar, Engineer-in-Chief, BWSSB, expressed confidence that there would not be any water shortage this summer. “We have 33 tmcft of water in KRS reservoir and another 12 tmcft in Kabini reservoir. There is sufficient water available as of now.”
The Water Board has also formed three-member squads across its 35 Divisions comprising an Executive Engineer and two Assistant Engineers in each team. “They will closely monitor areas under their jurisdiction as well as the Ground Level Reservoirs so that shortage in any form can be quickly redressed,” he said.