Amidst a water crisis gripping Bengaluru, authorities are taking measures to impose a limit on bulk water consumption starting April 10. The Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) announced that bulk consumers such as apartments, offices, and hotels will be restricted to consuming four million liters per month. Those failing to comply will face a ten percent supply cut.
The move aims to conserve water for redistribution to middle-class areas facing acute water scarcity, according to BWSSB spokesperson Sudhir S. While there’s currently no crisis, officials view the restriction as a precautionary step amidst the city’s worst drought-like conditions in decades.
The supply limit is calculated based on the estimated requirement of 100 liters per person per day. Construction companies are also mandated to resume operations using recycled water provided by the BWSSB. This initiative aims to reduce reliance on borewells, stated BWSSB chief Ram Prasath Manohar, noting that construction firms have already ordered 6.2 million liters of recycled water.
The water shortage, estimated at between 150 and 200 million liters per day, stems from inadequate southwest monsoon rains last year, which failed to replenish groundwater and the Cauvery River, the city’s primary water source.
