Bengaluru: In a first, the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) has launched a door-to-door survey to determine the demand for Cauvery water in the city.
While the board has data on the number of connections, it has no knowledge of precisely how many people depend on Cauvery water. The survey, therefore, aims to establish the usage relative to the population.
"We are collecting basic information such as the number of units using one water connection and the number of residents in those units, so we can determine how many people are completely dependent on Cauvery water," said BWSSB Chairman Ramprasat Manohar V.
The board is also gathering data on the number of households with borewells and their yield to understand water usage.
“Through the survey, we also aim to understand if industrial and commercial establishments with our connections are using treated water and to what extent,” Manohar added.
The board believes the survey will help improve supply planning and avoid water crisis in future. "We can input this data into AI-based systems to plan supply requirements," noted Manohar.
Water conservation expert Vishwanath S stated that the survey could reveal the city’s individual water usage patterns, eventually making infrastructure planning more effective.
"Per capita water consumption is crucial data for planning supply and infrastructure, including the number of sewage treatment plants,” he said.
The BWSSB also hopes that the survey will help identify instances of illegal water usage.
"Previously, there were instances of bypass connections where water was diverted and unmetered. Knowing the number of people under each connection will allow us to analyse and match metered consumption with requirement to determine illegal use," a senior official stated.
Published 27 May 2024, 21:37 IST