Bengaluru water crisis: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has warned the water tanker owners in the state that the government would seize their tankers if they do not register with the authorities before the deadline of March 7 (Thursday). Addressing a press conference at the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) head office, on the looming water crisis in Bengaluru, he said, "Of the total 3,500 water tankers in Bengaluru city, only 10%, that is 219 tankers, have registered with the authorities. The government will seize them if they don't register before the deadline."
"Water is not the property of any individual but is a resource that belongs to the government. The government has the right to take control of water sources. The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board officials have been instructed to be prepared to supply water from areas where groundwater is abundant. The BWSSB is using 210 tankers to supply water already. Election code of conduct will not come in the way of supplying water," he added.
“I am very seriously looking at it. I had a meeting with all the officials. We are identifying the points where water is available. Over 3,000 borewells have dried up in Bengaluru. We will see that we provide water at a very reasonable rate to all the people. We are worried about it because all the borewells, including the borewell at my house, have dried up,” Shivakumar said.
The private water tankers are charging anywhere between Rs 500 to Rs 2000 per tanker. He said that the authorities would talk to the Association and fix a standard price. "A total of Rs 556 crore has been earmarked to address the water crisis in Bengaluru. Each MLA of Bengaluru city has been given Rs 10 crore to address water shortage in their respective constituency. Besides, BBMP has earmarked Rs 148 crores and BWSSB Rs 128 crores to address the issue," he said.
Karnataka govt to open BBMP helplines
Shivakumar said that the government had decided to open BBMP helplines and ward-wise grievance centres to address complaints regarding water shortage in the city. A war room has been set up to monitor the situation in real-time.
"Senior officials and I will personally monitor the situation on a daily basis. It is the responsibility of the government to provide drinking water to the citizens. There is no need to be worried," he added. "Of the 16,781 borewells in our records, 6,997 borewells have dried up. The remaining 7,784 borewells are operational. The government will be drilling new borewells. There is a slight difference in pricing between local vendors and Tamil Nadu vendors and it will be sorted out soon," he noted.
The officials have been instructed to deploy unused milk tankers for water supply. The KMF milk tankers will be cleaned up before being deployed for water supply in Bengaluru. These tankers will be used for water supply until the water shortage persists, he said. The officials have also been instructed to immediately operationalise all the drinking water centres which were not operational till now.
The Bescom officials have been told to register all the borewells in use for agriculture and commercial use. Stating that Bengaluru city was going through a serious water crisis, Shivakumar urged the general public to use water judiciously. "Don't use drinking water for gardens and car wash. Treated water may be used for other purposes," he added. Asked about the prices of water tankers, he said, "We have called for a meeting of private water tanker owners on March 7 and we will fix a price there."
Karnataka govt's 1st priority is irrigation and water projects: Deputy CM in Assembly
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said in the Legislative Assembly that the government would prioritise irrigation and water management projects over other works. "The priority is the development of irrigation projects and filling up tanks. Other works, such as roads, will be taken up subsequently. We have already discussed this with the Chief Minister," Shivakumar said while replying to queries on irrigation, and Bengaluru city development in the Legislative Assembly.
Replying to a question by Sakaleshpur MLA Cement Manju on Yagachi dam works, he said, "The officials have already reported on the development of canals. Construction work is in progress on the 5.5-kilometre stretch of the canal and work on the remaining 1.5-kilometre stretch is halted due to issues with land acquisition. Yagachi Dam will get due attention from the government."
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