Bengaluru, the bustling metropolis known as the “Silicon Valley of India,” is grappling with a pressing issue: a critical water shortage. The government is taking the harshest steps to cope with this crisis. Recently, it penalized 22 families for gross violation of water conservation norms by the water board.
To combat wastage, such families were punished for misusing a scarce resource – drinking water – which they used in daily activities such as washing cars and gardening. The penalty? An amount up to ₹5000 will be fined for every household. Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) did not allow much time for the fine collection and in total, collected the sum of ₹1.1 lakh from all the citizens, with the highest sum of ₹80, 000 paid by the residents from the South part of Bengaluru.
The emergency turned out to be provoked by the BWSSB’s advice earlier this month for the residents to behave very carefully over their water usage. Residents were requested not to fill unnecessary appliances with drinking water, e.g., car washing, construction, and entertainment.
Repeat offenders suffered a further reduction in the tourism grades when an extra ₹500 penalty was imposed on the fine of each violation. It was designed to bring up the feeling of responsibility to the individual and the community.
With the Holi colorful city sprees close upon it, the BWSSB acted proactively, issuing timely advice, and encouraging the residents to refrain from using Cauvery River and borewell waters for urban pool parties or rain dances. The unique program let the hotels, flats, and industries install air-saving aerators, which contributed to reducing excessive water usage.
The water scarcity is becoming more severe each day, and it has taken Bangalore very close to the edge and the residents here have to cope with a new lifestyle due to the situation. There is an increasing trend of working from home, washable dishes are replaced by disposable, and saving water, by using public toilets at the malls is popular now.
CM Siddaramaiah brought to the fore the scale of the water crisis that faces the city of Bengaluru to the extent of 500 million liters per day, which is far below the 2,600 million liters it needs, keeping it in deficit. As a response, 1,470 million liters are drawn from the Cauvery River, and because of that, 650 million liters more are also taken from the reliable source of borewells.
Bangalore’s sustainability has been put into question. This venerable entity is one of its most valuable assets, so its preservation must be given utmost priority. Consequently, as the city is facing the crisis of the water shortage, the responsibility of authority as well as the partnership of the residents are of utmost importance for the city to maintain a sustainable environment in the future.
