After power, water woes stare B'luru in the face

BENGALURU: As if coping with erratic power supply was not bad enough, Bengalureans could soon have their taps running dry. Scant rainfall in the Cauvery basin has resulted in dwindling water levels in Krishnaraja Sagar (KRS) and Kabini reservoirs, two crucial sources of drinking water for the city. And if the rain gods don't oblige, BWSSB could well be cutting down on the supply of drinking water. A senior BWSSB official said the board, which gets around 1,350 million litres of Cauvery water per day, supplies water to various localities for up to six hours every alternate day. "In case of a crunch, which is quite possible in the absence of good rain, we may have to reduce the duration by a couple of hours," he said. After September, rain will return only in June next. "Till then, we'll need at least 15tmcft of water from Cauvery. We have written to Cauvery Neeravari Nigam Limited to ensure the required quantity is reserved," said another official. However, the tribunal has a tough task at hand, especially with water level at KRS dipping to 29tmcft (just above 50% of its total capacity). According to the water-sharing agreement between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, the latter should have received 98tmcft of water between June 1 and now. However, due to shortage, only 68tmcft has been released, a situation that won't go down well with the neighbouring government. . Sources in the BWSSB say if the Karnataka government agrees to release water to TN, it could aggravate Bengaluru's drinking water woes. Apart from Bengaluru, Mysuru and Mandya are also dependent on KRS for drinking water needs. The dam is also the lifeline for farmers in surrounding districts. -TOI