Amid the looming water crisis, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Tuesday promised that the government would ensure adequate water supply to Bengaluru at any cost and said that “even the borewell at his home has dried up”.
Speaking to the media on Tuesday, DK Shivakumar said all areas in Bengaluru are facing a water crisis. “We are facing a dire water crisis, but will ensure water supply to the city at any cost,” the Deputy Chief Minister said.
Bengaluru is facing a severe water crisis as borewells have dried up due to a lack of rain. Residential societies have advised residents to be careful with their daily water usage.
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Amid the crisis, several private water tankers are charging residents exorbitantly for delivering water. On this, Shivakumar said, “Some of the tankers are supplying water for Rs 600 while some others are charging up to Rs 3,000. In order to standardise the pricing, we have asked all the water tankers to register with the authorities. Prices will be fixed based on the distance travelled by the tankers.”
The Deputy Chief Minister also hit out at the Centre, accusing it of stalling the Mekedatu reservoir project which could solve the water woes in Bengaluru.
“We had initiated the Mekedatu project with the very intention of securing water supply for Bengaluru. In spite of us putting pressure on the Centre to approve the Mekedatu project with our padyatra, the Centre has not approved it. The Centre should at least approve the project at least now given the severity of the crisis,” he said.
Apartment complexes and gated communities in Bengaluru have started imposing regulations for smart water usage, putting restrictions in place. This severe shortage occurred due to less than normal rainfall in two monsoon seasons.
(With inputs from ANI)