With No Signs Of Rain, Bengaluru May Face Chennai-Like Water Crisis Soon

Chennai has been hogging headlines around the world for the past few weeks following an acute water crisis, which is yet to be fully resolved.

Parts of Chennai are still depending on private tankers to get their daily water supplies as the official distribution is erratic at best.

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One of the main reasons blamed for the crisis was the reservoirs in the city running dry due to a delay in monsoon. Even after the monsoon rains finally began, it has done little to ease the situation as the rains have been much lower than the average.

What is even more alarming is that Chennai might not be the only city that could face a water crisis. Neighbouring Karnataka's capital Bengaluru too could soon face a similar water crisis. In Bengaluru too, the main reason is the below average monsoons. Karnataka has so far registered a 30 percent rain deficit this year so far. And the effects of it is already showing.?

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With no rains in the catchment areas, the four Cauvery basin dams - KRS, Hemavathi, Kabini and Harangi have only water enough to supply till the end of this month.??

"If rains do not improve and inflow does not increase, we have no option but to ration the supply," a Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board official told Deccan Chronicle.

Currently, a total of 1,300-1,400 MLD of water is supplied by the board to around 9.13 lakh consumers on alternate days.

BCCL

"As of now, we have not decided on rationing. But if things get worse, we may ask the government to release water only for drinking purpose, and we also have to ration the supply. That is the only option," the official said.?

Earlier, alarmed over the ever-increasing water crisis, the Karnataka government had proposed to ban the construction of new apartments in Bengaluru for the next five years until a solution is found.

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Karnataka deputy chief minister G Parameshwara had said the proposal is being discussed considering how apartments are being sold without ensuring availability of water.

According to reports, there are about 75,000 small and big apartments in the city, out of which only 22,000 of them get water supplies from BWSSB.

The rest depends on private suppliers or borewells.