In response to the onset of summer, the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) announced a 10% reduction in water supply to consumers utilizing between 40 lakh and 2 crore litres per day, effective from April 10. This decision is expected to affect numerous high-rise apartments, large gated communities, and other sizable establishments in the city.
Prior to this, BWSSB had already enforced a 20% water supply cut for 38 bulk users consuming over two crore litres daily, resulting in a saving of approximately 10 Million Litres per Day (MLD) of water. BWSSB chairman Ram Prasath Manohar V chaired a meeting with users falling within the 40 lakh to 2 crore litres per day consumption range on April 1. During the meeting, he urged them to embrace the five principles of the “green star challenge,” which include adopting water conservation technologies, increasing the usage of treated water, monitoring borewells, implementing rainwater harvesting, and raising awareness among users regarding these principles.
BWSSB has already initiated the green star challenge campaign targeting restaurants, bulk users, and apartment complexes. Additionally, the board commenced supplying recycled water for construction activities starting from today. BWSSB had previously engaged in 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 prohibited the use of potable water for construction activities, road maintenance, vehicle washing, and other non-drinking purposes. Manohar emphasized that supplying recycled water would reduce dependence on borewells. He noted that developers have already ordered 62 lakh litres of recycled water, with demand anticipated to increase.
Manohar stated that the number of water distress complaints has decreased from 1,000 to 400 per day, attributing this improvement to timely interventions by the board. Measures such as minimizing the use of potable water for non-drinking purposes, including construction activities, swimming pools, and car washing, have resulted in a 20 MLD improvement in water supply across Bengaluru.
