Referring to Water Resources Minister M.B. Patil saying it is “advisable” for Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) to resort to water rationing so that the available water could be used for a longer period, BWSSB chairperson Tushar Girinath said it would be done only if the situation worsened.
Addressing presspersons here on Monday, Mr. Patil said, if required, BWSSB, Karnataka Urban Water Supply and Drainage Board, and Rural Development and Panchayat Raj departments could resort to some rationing. “It is advisable they do it. However, it is they who have to decide,” he added.
According to data on live water storage in various reservoirs in the Cauvery basin, there is a total of 7.748 tmc in Krishna Raja Sagar (KRS), Kabini, Harangi and Hemavathi. Together the availability of water in KRS and Kabini is 4.7 tmc and the water requirement of Bengaluru city is 800 cusecs per day.
“For next 60 days, we have to give 800 cusecs per day for supply to Bengaluru and surrounding areas. Although BWSSB requires 600 cusecs per day, we have taken into consideration transmission losses and other pilferages and put it at 800 cusecs. While we require 4.1 to 4.5 tmcft to give 800 cusecs for 60 days up to June 15, we have 4.7 tmcft. So we can manage until then,” he said.
Allaying fears, Mr. Tushar Girinath said there was no problem as of now and the board was pumping the usual 1,350 million litres of water per day (mld). “We are monitoring the situation. We are increasing efficiency by checking unauthorised pumping in the Cauvery basin. We will use the inflow till it is there because if we don’t, it will go down the drain. We will re-consider if the situation worsens,” he said.
Saying there is no need to panic, he appealed to the people to use water judiciously.
