The government should seriously consider banning the use of water
that is supplied for domestic purposes for non-domestic purposes, said
Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) Chairman M S
Ravishankar.  

At a programme organised to release the new year
diaries and calendars by Bangalore Jalamandali Abhiyantharara Sangha
here, Ravishankar said, “Water is becoming scarce along with the
increase in the number of connections. It is sad to see people using
potable water for non-domestic purposes. The BWSSB is unable to supply
water to the 110 villages that were merged with the city to constitute
greater Bangalore, due to scarcity.”

Ravishankar asked the BWSSB
engineers to focus on increasing treating the sewage generated in the
city to tertiary levels and supplying it for non-potable and industrial
purposes.

“We should emulate Singapore and seriously consider
promoting the use of tertiary treated water for non-potable purposes to
avoid the foreseen water crisis,” Ravishankar added.

Transport
Minister Ramalinga Reddy stressed on the need to explore the alternative
sources of drinking water to the city and said, “It would be difficult
to get more water for the city from the Cauvery and the ground water in
the city is depleting very fast.”

“Therefore, we have to explore alternative sources to augment water supply in the city and to meet the increasing demand.”

Reddy said the government is thinking of constituting a separate authority for developing the lakes in the city.

The authority would focus on rejuvenating the lakes and improving the inflow into the lakes.