Half-bucket baths, school shuts: How Bengaluru’s water crisis is turning graver

Bengaluru is reeling from a grim water shortage with apartments and gated communities already bearing the brunt of the situation. Now, schools and other educational institutions have also come under threat of the looming water crisis.

As Karnataka’s IT city faces acute water scarcity, people have been urged to use the resource economically. The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) has also announced restrictions to stop the misuse of potable water.

Let’s take a closer look.

Bengaluru’s water crisis worsens

A private home school on Bannerghatta Road has been closed till 10 March amid the ongoing water shortage in Bengaluru. Abheek Academy, which has a strength of 100 students, had to close its gates on Tuesday (5 March) due to a lack of water at the school.

“We were dependent on borewell water for the daily usage of the school. However, it has dried up completely now. We are ready to purchase water from tankers, but even if we are ready to pay higher prices, it is not available. So there was no other option but to close down the school for a week, while we arrange water,” one of the staffers at the school told The Hindu.

Speaking to Indian Express, Indraa Raju, founder of the academy, said they are unable to get private water tankers after the Karnataka government took over the vehicles. “Since ours is a homeschool with activity-based learning, we didn’t want to take the risk of continuing our school without water. So, we decided to shut it temporarily until the issue is resolved,” she added.

The Karnataka government has taken over private water tankers, borewells and irrigation wells in the capital city amid the water scarcity.

Government Primary School in Hosakerehalli has been facing water scarcity for the past seven months, much before the water crisis hit the city, as per The Hindu. The education officials are trying to avail tanker services to meet the non-drinking water purposes.

“The school has a separate borewell but it dried up in August 2023. The Department of School Education and Literacy has re-bored it, but it dried up in a month. Since then we have been buying tanker water from our own resources. But now we are pressed for resources as the prices have shot up. 350 students study here. Multiple appeals have been made to the Department officials and elected representatives from the area,” Gangamma M, the school headmistress, told The Hindu.

A block education officer said that they are arranging mineral water for drinking purposes for the school. “We have requested the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board to drill another borewell to cater to the water supply demand for the school. They have assured us of early action,” the officer was quoted as saying by Indian Express.

As per India Today, a coaching centre in Bengaluru’s Vijayanagar has asked students to attend classes online due to an “emergency” for a week.

A resident of a posh gated community in Bengaluru has claimed that people in the society are forced to visit a nearby mall to use washrooms amid a water shortage. A post on Reddit by a user named “Familiar-Art-8675” claimed that it has been over a month since they received a “regular, round-the-clock water supply.”

“Most of the tenants have vacated while others have moved to temporary accommodation. You get to smell the stink of unflushed human excreta in toilet bowls from far away. It’s not uncommon to see a line of residents going to the nearby Forum mall to do their business," the Reddit user claimed.

Bengaluru residents have also started taking measures on their own to avert the water crisis, including issuing instructions to use only half a bucket of water for bathing and using a “half flush" in toilets, deploying wastewater from aqua guard filters for cleaning and so on, reported Livemint. 

Restrictions and more

The BWSSB, which is in charge of supplying water in the city, has banned the use of drinking water for cleaning vehicles, gardening, construction, road works, and other recreational purposes.

Potable water also cannot be used for any other purpose in cinema halls and malls.

“Bengaluru has a total population of close to 1.4 crore, including the floating population. It is important to meet the drinking water needs of the population. Given that the monsoon has failed and the groundwater levels have plunged, it is important to limit the use of drinking water,” Deccan Herald (DH) cited the order as saying.

The BWSSB said a penalty of Rs 5,000 will be imposed on those who violate the order. Repeat offenders will “attract a penalty of Rs 5,000 plus Rs 500 every day”.

It also asked the public to immediately call its helpline 1916 if anyone is found flouting the ban.

This week, the Bengaluru Urban district administration fixed the rates charged by private water tanker operators from the residents. It has capped the prices for 200 private tankers deployed on a contract basis for four months, reported Indian Express.

The new rates are as follows:

Prices for distances up to 5 km:

A 6,000-litre water tanker will cost Rs 600.

Rs 700 for an 8,000-litre water tanker.

A 12,000-litre water tanker will cost Rs 1,000.

Rates for 5 km-10 km distances:

A 6,000-litre water tanker is priced at Rs 750.

Rs 850 for an 8,000-litre water tanker.

A 12,000-litre water tanker will be available at Rs 1,200.

According to NDTV, Bengaluru is facing a daily water shortage of over 1,500 MLD (Million Liters Per Day), The 1.3 crore population of the city needs water between 2,600-2,800 MLD.

The inadequate rainfall last year caused the water levels of the Cauvery River to significantly dip. This has hit the drinking water supply and agricultural irrigation in Bengaluru. Many borewells in the IT city are also running dry, which has further worsened the situation.

The state government is trying to tackle the issue, including by imposing mandatory registration for private water tankers, to bring some relief to the troubled residents.

With inputs from agencies