As drought looms, Bengaluru residents grapple with irregular water supply

Bengaluru: Amid looming concerns of a potential water crisis this summer due to drought conditions, residents in several areas are already grappling with irregular water supply and low-pressure water flow.

In areas like Hebbal, Banaswadi, and JC Nagar, residents lamented a significant decline in water frequency — what used to be once-in-two-days Cauvery water supply has now reduced to once every five days.

"The layout has 500 houses, and we have a Ground Level Reservoir (GLR) inside the layout. Water was supplied every other day earlier, but now, over the last few months, the frequency of supply has come down to once in five days,” said Hari Kanniah, a resident of Coffee Board Layout in Hebbal.

At Munireddy Palya, residents are concerned over erratic supply patterns and shortened supply hours.

Martin Kumar, a resident of Subbanapalya, observed, “As always, we receive Cauvery water supply two days in a week — Thursday and Sunday. However, in the last few weeks, the water supply has been cut short to only 45 or 50 minutes. Earlier, we received two hours of uninterrupted supply.”

Residents in various other areas also voiced grievances regarding inadequate water pressure, leading to trickling water flow.

While the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) asserted no water scarcity, residents suspect that the agency is rationing water to avert an impending crisis during peak summer.

"Despite the duration of supply remaining the same, the dwindling pressure results in insufficient water flow for our daily needs," said Ramya K, a resident of Kasavanahalli.

Residents said the combination of poor water supply and depleting borewells has exacerbated the crisis in several localities.

Supply not reduced: BWSSB 

Senior BWSSB officials, however, countered claims of reduced supply, attributing the situation to excessive consumption by select households.

BWSSB engineer-in-chief Suresh B told DH, "We are supplying the usual quantity as every year. However, heightened dependency on Cauvery water, owing to drying borewells, may have led to reduced water pressure in certain areas."