May 19: The acute drinking water crisis the city is facing, came up for discussion at the BBMP council meeting on Wednesday with several corporators targeting water tanker owners for exploiting the shortage to make a fast buck. Prime localities have been deprived of regular water supply in the past two months with BWSSB unable to meet the growing demand for water.

Floor leader of the BJP in the council Katte Satyanarayana said BWSSB officials had become insensitive to the water woes faced by the public and have failed to address the shortage. He wanted BWSSB to ensure adequate water to city residents and also inform the public beforehand about any disruption so that they could store water in advance.

Later, corporators cutting across party lines, explained the problems they were facing due to the shortage and demanded a solution from BWSSB chairman P.B. Ramamurthy who was present. They felt more borewells should be drilled across the city with some of them demanding 20 borewells in their wards to meet water needs.

Mr Ramamurthy felt sinking borewells was not the solution as it would have an adverse impact on the underground water table. Congress leader in the BBMP M. Nagaraj said the water shortage should have been tackled before the BBMP was formed. He wanted BWSSB to provide details of the ground water recharging initiative it had mooted in association with BDA and BBMP at parks.

Targeting BWSSB minister Katta Subramanya Naidu, he said the minister had been making tall promises about reviving lakes and forming artificial lakes but had failed to address something as simple as the water shortage. The meeting was inconclusive and will continue on Thursday.