Bengaluru's Whitefield continues to face water woes

Bengaluru: Residents of Whitefield are facing a water crisis for the second time this year. After overcoming a severe shortage during the summer, apartment complexes and independent houses in the neighbourhood have been in a similar situation since last month when water tanker suppliers went on strike.

A large number of tankers source their water from Hoskote. According to reports, villagers in the area took issue with it, fearing the unchecked pumping of water would deplete the groundwater in the taluk. The authorities then cut off the electricity needed for pumping.
Water tankers retaliated by holding a strike.

Whitefield relies heavily on water tankers as the area has limited access to Cauvery water. Last week, at an apartment complex on ECC Road, residents received a notice informing them to conserve water as their regular tankers were refusing to cater to their needs. “We were refilling our water 6 to 7 times per day. Now we have had to cut that by 50 per cent,” says Arindam Kar, the resident of the complex which has a total of 256 flats. 

While residents of the apartment have been urging the BWSSB to give them better access to Cauvery water for a long time, they have not been able to fix the issue. “At first they told us we have to replace our existing metre. When we did that they said there is not enough pressure. Now I hear that a pipeline is broken,” he explains.

Since the strike, residents at Parinay Jain’s apartment have been forced to find new tankers as their regular provider stopped his services. He says rampant digging of borewells has exacerbated the issue. “For a few days last week, we made water available for only two to three hours a day. The situation has improved now,” he shares. The S V Road apartment complex has 40 flats. 

While the scarcity of water was limited to the summer months earlier, it has now become a year-round issue, rues Gautam Mishra, an IT professional. His apartment complex has 105 units. Up to two years ago, they were able to manage their water consumption with a combination of water tankers, borewell water and recycled water. Now, tankers are their only source. Costs have skyrocketed too. “Earlier, we would pay Rs 1,200 per tanker, now we are paying about Rs 1,600,” he reveals.

On Borewell Road, near ITPL, there has been no Cauvery water for six months, says Mary Bhalla, a homeowner. Mary and her family live in an independent house. She uses one tanker per week. She says she has not had trouble with water supply from tankers, but the prices are steep. “I’m currently paying Rs 1,800 per tanker,” she tells Metrolife. She adds that the BWSSB has promised Cauvery water in 15 days when they launch the Cauvery stage 5 project. “But I have heard these promises before,” she states.

Some property owners like Anvesh Katta have been forced to move to Kadugodi from Borewell Road. “I have a three-floor house, which comprises nine smaller apartments. I have currently rented them out,” he says. He says there has been no Cauvery water since his family moved into the house three years ago. “I have been paying the BWSSB bills, though I have not been receiving water. They argue the payment is also for the maintenance of the sewage system,” he shares. 

Cauvery stage five project

The project, which is set to be inaugurated on Vijayadashami, will provide drinking water to 50 lakh people living across 110 peripheral villages of Bengaluru. A 775 MLD water treatment plant, touted to be India’s largest, has been constructed as part of the project. It will have three high-tech booster pumping stations at Thorekadanahalli, Harohalli and Tataguni. They will enable water to be pumped 450 metres uphill through steel pipes. It is said the project will ease water problems in constituencies like Mahadevapura and Bangalore South.