Bengaluru Water Board Approves Over 13,887 New Cauvery Connections in Six Months

As part of an intensified public awareness initiative, including the Cauvery Connection Campaign, the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) has approved more than 13,887 new Cauvery water connections over the past six months, according to officials. From November 2024 to April 2025, a total of 39,866 applications were submitted seeking new water connections. Of these, demand notes were issued to over 31,000 applicants, while approximately 4,000 applications remain pending due to various technical and administrative reasons. Among the four city zones, South Zone saw the highest activity, with over 14,000 applications received. So far, demand notes have been issued to 12,000 households, and 50% of those homes have already been connected to Cauvery water supply. In the East Zone, approximately 12,000 applications were submitted, but only 2,000 homes have received connections. In the West Zone, more than 10,000 applications were filed, with around 3,000 connections granted. BWSSB officials noted that the South Zone not only led in application volume but also in actual connections provided and revenue collected. During the six-month period, a total of ₹210 crore was collected as pro-rata charges from across all zones. Of this, ₹119.76 crore was collected from the South Zone alone, which provided 6,401 water connections.

To further assist economically weaker sections, the BWSSB has announced that it is preparing to implement an equated monthly installment (EMI) scheme to ease the burden of pro-rata charges for new Cauvery water connections. Initially, this scheme will apply only to small houses constructed on plots measuring 600 square feet or less. Such homeowners will be required to pay a deposit of ₹2,900 for new connections. Once the demand note is issued, a down payment of ₹1,000 will be sufficient to initiate the connection, and the remaining balance can be paid in 12 monthly installments, sources confirmed.