From 20% To 10%: BWSSB Announces Cut In Water Supply To Bulk Users

With the onset of summer, the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) announced a 10 percent reduction in water supply for consumers using between 40 lakh and 2 crore litres per day starting April 10. This decision is expected to affect numerous skyscraper apartments, large gated communities, and other sizeable establishments.

Earlier, the BWSSB had implemented a 20 percent water supply cut for 38 bulk users consuming over two crore litres of water daily, resulting in a daily saving of nearly 10 Million Litres per Day (MLD) of water.

Chairing a meeting on April 1, BWSSB chairman Ram Prasath Manohar V advised users in the 40 lakh to 2 crore litres per day category to adhere to the five principles of the "green star challenge." These principles include adopting water conservation technologies, increasing the use of treated water, monitoring borewells with technology, digging rainwater harvesting pits, and raising awareness among users about these principles.

BWSSB has already initiated the green star challenge for restaurants, bulk users, and apartment complexes.

Meanwhile, the board has commenced supplying recycled water for construction activities starting today. Earlier, BWSSB had discussions with the Confederation of Real Estate Developers' Association of India (Credai) and the Bangalore Apartments Federation (BAF) to address the water crisis.

In its March order, BWSSB had prohibited the use of potable water for construction activities, road maintenance works, vehicle wash, and other non-drinking purposes.

Manohar expressed that the initiative to supply recycled water would reduce borewell dependency. He mentioned that developers have already placed orders for 62 lakh litres of recycled water, and the demand is expected to rise.

Manohar informed The Indian Express that the number of complaints related to water scarcity has decreased from 1,000 to 400 per day. He attributed this improvement to the timely interventions made by the board in recent weeks, including minimizing the use of potable water for non-drinking purposes such as construction activities, swimming pools, entertainment, and car washing. This has led to an enhanced water supply in Bengaluru by 20 MLD.