As Bengaluru confronts a severe water shortage, initiatives by the state government to commandeer private water tankers for the city’s driest regions have intensified the predicament for numerous private apartments such as Prestige Falcon City, which houses 2,500 units situated on Kanakapura Road. The complex has been suggested to employ disposable plates and wet wipes to reduce water consumption amidst the crisis. Vasanth Kumar, president of the residents’ association, affirmed that such measures were proposed only in extreme cases of water scarcity.
The dry spell in Bengaluru has pushed residents to switch to disposable items and wet tissues for basic hygiene, highlighting the grim reality faced by thousands across the city. The derth of water forced the Prestige Falcon City Apartment Owners Association (PFCAOA) to urge residents with the means to assist in procuring water tankers to step forward, following the seizure of water tankers by RTO & BWSSB authorities. The community has been rationing water availability, curtailing the supply to specific morning and evening hours.
The battle against the water crisis is fought on multiple fronts, with residents adopting conservation techniques like collecting RO wastewater for alternative uses. DK Shivakumar, Karnataka’s deputy chief minister, assured citizens on March 4 that a specialized war room and helplines have been established to monitor the water crisis in real-time and address any water-related grievances. The Deputy Chief Minister emphasized the government’s commitment to ensuring adequate water supply to Bengaluru despite current challenges such as dry borewells and exorbitant prices demanded by private water tankers. He also appealed to the Centre to approve the proposed Mekedatu reservoir project, which he believes is crucial for resolving Bengaluru’s water woes. In response to the towering prices set by private tankers, authorities have mandated registration for tankers with standardized pricing to prevent exploitation.