Karnataka monsoon & water status

Karnataka - Malnad, south interior karanata seams to head for drought. No rains in Bangalore, Mysore. Will it rain in next few months?

BANGALORE: It's time for citizens in West Bangalore to brace for no-water days.

With a failing monsoon, the water level in the T G Halli reservoir, which supplies water to many areas in West Bangalore, has dipped drastically. The BWSSB is forced to stop water supply from the reservoir from next week.

"The water level has gone down drastically. Only 15 million litres of water per day (mld) is available for supply. We have no option but to stop the supply. Though we are providing water, it would last for only a week. Hence, we have to stop supply at the earliest," BWSSB officials told TOI.

At present, water from this reservoir is supplied to Beggars' Colony, few parts of West of Chord Road and Rajajinagar. When in full capacity with good rainfall, the reservoir is expected to supply 135 mld of water to the areas, officials added.

DEMAND FOR CAUVERY WATER

Besides the depleting water level in the reservoir, the dependency on Cauvery water has increased. However, Cauvery Water Supply Scheme IV Stage II Phase project is expected to bring 500 mld of water to the city by 2012.

There seems to be no relief from water scarcity even for Garden City in the near future. A study conducted by Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) states that water availability would be far lesser than the demand. At present, while the shortage is 646 million litres of water per day (mld), the gap between demand and supply will increase by 219 mld in the next six years.

MORE BOREWELLS

Unable to meet the increasing demand, the government has now decided to dig four borewells in each ward in the core areas and a minimum of seven borewells in the newly-added BBMP areas.

Though indiscriminate use of groundwater has led to depletion in water level in Bangalore, digging borewells is seen as the only solution. Along with this, BWSSB has initiated rainwater harvesting. Of the 56,000 buildings identified, only 18,000 have installed the structures. Experts feel dependency on Cauvery water supply is not the solution and that alternative sources have to be identified to meet the increasing demand.

posted by SSET