Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar.
Credit: PTI Photo
Bengaluru: With the ongoing water crisis in Bengaluru and the soaring prices of tankers, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Saturday announced that the state government would take over all private water tankers in the city.
Though the government has sanctioned a grant of Rs 10 crore for each assembly constituency in Bengaluru to address drinking water issues, it's now going for stricter measures to crack down on water tanker suppliers accused of fleecing customers.
Shivakumar said this while speaking to reporters outside his residence in Sadashivanagar.
"Water scarcity has peaked in Bengaluru already. Officials from the BWSSB and the BBMP have been holding daily meetings with us. We have advised the BWSSB to ensure registration of all the borewells and tankers for government takeover. We will not allow any racket in the name of drinking water,” he said.
All private water tankers and borewells will be required to register with the Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) before March 7. The government will issue a formal circular after a meeting with the mines and geology, minor irrigation, police and transport departments on Monday at noon, Shivakumar said.
"As far as the water crisis is concerned, more than 200 taluks have been declared drought-hit, including Bengaluru. Groundwater levels have dropped massively. We have instructed all water tanker suppliers and borewell operators to register as they are fleecing customers,” he said.
DH earlier reported that of the 10,955 public borewells in the city, 1,214 of them have run dry while the water levels in another 3,700 borewells have gone down significantly.
Areas beyond the Outer Ring Road (ORR) have been most affected with prices that may have crossed Rs 238 for 1,000 litres in some parts of the city, especially in places with low groundwater levels.