Programme extended
BENGALURU
The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) has widened the scope of its ‘Sarala Cauvery’ easy monthly instalment (EMI) scheme to include commercial establishments, marking a significant expansion of its initiative to encourage piped Cauvery water connections and curb groundwater dependency. The scheme, previously available only to individual houses and apartments, now enables commercial property owners to opt for piped water by paying 20% upfront and the remaining 80% in 12 monthly instalments.
Launched earlier this year, the programme has already seen strong uptake among residential consumers. BWSSB Chairman Ram Prasath Manohar said that in the last five months alone, 25,000 households and apartments have availed the EMI facility. Although connection charges vary depending on property size and other technical factors, the EMI structure remains the same for all users.
“We are pleased with the response from residential users. Extending the EMI scheme to commercial establishments will help us increase piped water coverage and reduce the dependence on borewells and private tankers,” Manohar said.
As of the end of October, BWSSB has completed 1,99,990 Cauvery 5th Stage connections. With an overall target of 3.5 lakh connections by 2028, the utility has already crossed the halfway mark in the first year of operations. Of the nearly two lakh completed connections, 1,12,990 were existing 4th Stage users across 110 villages who have now fully shifted to the 5th Stage network. Another 87,000 new connections have been added since October 2024, indicating growing demand for reliable piped water.
Many of these 110 villages, primarily in east Bengaluru, have long depended on borewells and water tankers due to unreliable groundwater sources. BWSSB officials believe the expansion of 5th Stage connections will significantly reduce tanker dependence in these areas.
The utility plans to continue scaling up connections over the coming months to meet its 2028 target. “We’ve already achieved 50 percent of the goal and are confident of completing the project within the stipulated timeline. We urge all property owners—new and existing—to take Cauvery connections and avoid relying on tankers,” Manohar added.
