If all goes as per plan, those depending on private water tankers for domestic use too may get Cauvery water.
To reduce exploitation of depleting groundwater, the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) is studying the feasibility of selling Cauvery water to private tanker suppliers who service most parts of the city, especially the newly-added areas.
A top BWSSB official told The Hindu that the Water Board — following a suggestion from the Mines and Geology Department — was considering the pros and cons of selling Cauvery water from its filling stations to private suppliers at a fixed price. This will ensure that the water supplied to new areas was safe and free from contamination, the official said.
The BWSSB, which draws 1,350 million litres of water a day (mld) from all stages of Cauvery Water Supply Scheme, has been catering to the needs of residents in core areas. However, residents of newly-added areas (the erstwhile seven city municipal councils, one town municipal council and 110 villages that were added to the city limits) continue to depend on borewell water. This is because of lack of infrastructure (pipelines) and reluctance of a majority of residents to obtain metered connections.
Private tankers largely use water from borewells where there is no check on quality, endangering the health of users. It is also a major source for groundwater depletion. In many areas, especially those in east Bangalore and the new wards, groundwater is not available even at a depth of 1,000 ft.
Sources said that private suppliers sell 50 to 60 tanker-loads of water every day. In fact, groundwater exploitation could be happening at a far greater pace than what official records show. Of the three lakh existing borewells in the city, less than a lakh are registered with the BWSSB. Many of the unregistered borewells are those used by private water suppliers.
