Summer is still some time away, but Bengaluru is already facing the heat as the ongoing water crisis threatens to leave residents high and dry. Amidst dried-up borewells and overburdened tanker services, locals have been forced to improvise as they strive to make the most of the limited water resources available.
Musthafa, a student residing in Devara Jeevanahalli (DJ Halli), said his building's owner just got another water tank "as a precautionary measure." He added that the current climate in the city is not what it used to be. "To top it off, Bangalore never expected a rise in population. Moreover, the government did not address this issue back then and was under the notion that Karnataka has Cauvery to themselves so what could possibly go wrong? Instead of fighting with Tamil Nadu, if they had spent half of that time on improving infrastructure, we wouldn't be facing this crisis," he said.
The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) has responded by banning the use of drinking water for non-essential purposes such as car washing, gardening etc. A fine of Rs 5,000 will be imposed if the order is violated and in case of repetitions, they will be fined an additional Rs 500 every time.
The board also urged members of the public who spot any violations to call the BWSSB call centre number 1916 and lodge a complaint.
Earlier, Bengaluru's district administration issued an order fixing the price of tanker water after persistent allegations that tanker owners are extorting customers.
"In Kurubarahalli, we are procuring tankers that charge Rs 700 for one trip. We have no choice as Cauvery water comes only on alternate days that too for one hour in the morning and one hour in the night," says Sheela V, a resident from the area. Her sister who stays in Rajarajeshwari Nagar (RR Nagar) is facing the same issue as the tanker prices in that area range from Rs 700-1000.
In places like Chikkabanavara and neighbouring areas like Nagasandra, T Dasarahalli and Mallasandra, people need to wait for two days after booking a tanker, leading to a halt in their day-to-day activities like bathing, laundry, kitchen chores etc. "Earlier, we used to get the CMC (Cauvery Monitoring Committee) water thrice a week. But now we get it only once a week and only for a short duration. Sometimes we get it at odd times during the night which makes it even more difficult to keep track," says Jayalakshmi, who stays in Chikkasandra near Hesaraghatta main road.
Regarding the use of Cauvery water, Musthafa said central areas of Bengaluru are fine as of now but the outskirts are facing a tough time. "People are literally scavenging for water, and this includes the rich who recently bought newly constructed apartments on the outskirts such as Devanahalli, KR Puram, Mahadevpura, Hoskote and more. Many of these big apartments require immense amounts of water and mostly rely on tankers now that borewells have dried up," he said.
Vikram Rai, President of Bangalore Apartments' Federation (BAF), said there were complaints about BWSSB water supply being inconsistent a few weeks ago. Later, he heard from people dependent on tankers that they were being charged outrageously high prices. He also learnt of instances of people digging borewells up to 1200ft to 1300ft and not finding water.
"We did a water tanker survey and got to know about the price hike ranging from 20% to 200%. This issue was addressed after the district administration in Bengaluru fixed the rates for private tankers," said Rai.
"Now, we are sensitising residents to use water judiciously. The situation is grim mostly in the east, south-east and south where coverage of BWSSB is less and people are dependent on tankers," he added.
With borewells drying up and tankers unavailable, people pinned hopes on reverse osmosis (RO) units, which have also failed to come to the rescue as they are struggling to keep up with demand.
"Many RO units or water ATMs in RR Nagar are shut. The ones that are open work only for a few hours each day with a policy of one can of water per person," said Sandesh Mysore, a resident of Rajarajeshwari Nagar (RR Nagar).
"500ft to 600ft borewells have dried up. The ones that are 1200ft to 1600ft have some water left but we are not sure how long it will last," he added.
In 2021, a law was enacted making it compulsory for buildings built on sites measuring 60×40 ft and more to harvest and utilise rainwater for internal purposes. However, to date, only 1,96,538 establishments have installed RWH systems. Many building owners think this will burn a hole in their pockets thereby delaying the process and choosing to pay a fine rather than make a one-time investment.
Stuck in a precarious situation, residents of Silicon Valley as well as the government are coming up with various measures to tackle the crisis until monsoon rains provide relief. Authorities are taking emergency measures which include taking over all irrigation and commercial borewells and mandating the registration of every private water tanker in the city.
Meanwhile, residents are looking for ways to optimise consumption. Rai says there is a lot more conversation now on water metering, reuse of treated water and rainwater harvesting. Apartment associations are also organising water-focused meet-ups sharing best practices to save water.
Other ad hoc measures by associations include instructions to stop washing cars and balconies, bathe with half a bucket of water and use wastewater from aqua guard filters to mop the floor and bathrooms. While these steps may aid in the short term, only a detailed action plan can prevent an annual recurrence of the crisis.