The city need not fear water scarcity till at least the
end of April, according to Gauvrav Gupta, chairperson of Bangalore Water
Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB). “However, we hope that there will be
rainfall, which will improve storage and recharge the groundwater,” he
said.

He was talking to reporters here Wednesday,
when the BWSSB took the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP)
councillors and Mayor D. Venkatesh Murthy to the Torekadinahalli (T.K.
Halli) pump house.

Mr. Gupta said that T.K. Halli
gets water directly from Krishna Raja Sagar Dam. Around 500 million
litres a day (MLD) can be pumped to the city from here though the BWSSB
is currently pumping only 200 MLD.

As for
Thippegondanahalli (T.G. Halli), the storage capacity there had come
down so much the BWSSB was not able to draw even 30 MLD from there. Its
storage had reached perilously low levels last November.

“Compared
to March last year, the city is getting 200 MLD extra from the Cauvery
Fourth Stage Second Phase project. With this, we will be able to meet
the water needs till April end. The city needs around 1.5 tmcft
(thousand million cubic feet) water a month,” he said.

The TN factor

However,
a senior official, on condition of anonymity, said with the State being
directed to release more water to Tamil Nadu, the water scarcity
problem may be severe this summer.

Asked about the
illegal connections, Mr. Gupta said that with several people drawing
water without meters, the regular water supply was being affected. The
BWSSB runs up a whopping Rs. 400 crore annually in power bills to pump
water from the reservoirs to the city. Urging people to get their
connections metered, he said the BWSSB could get revenue only from the
legal and metered connections.

The BWSSB had drawn up
a project to provide water supply to the 110 villages added to BBMP
limits. The Rs. 2,023 crore proposal is pending government approval.

“The
Centre asked us to take into account the expected population growth in
these areas based on 2011 census data. If the population crosses 30
lakh, we will need 10 tmcft just for these areas. The government has
directed us to first identify water sources.” In this regard, the BWSSB
had sent proposals to the State government to divert water from the
Sharavati and Netravati. “A discussion on it will be scheduled soon,” he
added.

BBMP meetings

Later,
Mayor Murthy directed Mr. Gupta to ensure that BWSSB officials attend
the BBMP’s monthly council meetings. He also directed the councillors to
submit their water-related problems in writing to the BWSSB.

“The
BBMP has convened a special meeting to discuss water problems on
February 23 and the BWSSB officials will be able to respond to the
problems of the councillors then,” he added.