Bangalore:
From working from home to using toilets in malls, residents of Bengaluru, India’s “Silicon Valley,” are exploring options to deal with an unprecedented water crisis. Due to a lack of water, people in various communities are forced to order food from restaurants and shower every other day.
Even those in high-rise apartments equipped with water harvesting systems now find themselves dependent on water tankers for basic needs, resulting in strict usage restrictions.
Restaurants are considering using disposable cups, glasses and plates to avoid excess water use.
Educational institutions are also feeling the pinch. Recently, a tutoring center in the city required students to attend online classes for a week due to an “emergency situation.” Similarly, a school in Bannerghatta Road was also closed and students were asked to attend classes online as they have done during the coronavirus pandemic.
Residents have come up with new ways to try and save water. Sujatha, a resident of KR Puram, said as the temperature rises, it is difficult to avoid bathing every day, but they have no choice but to bathe on alternate days.
“What to do? Clean dishes, cook, do laundry… So, we started using paper plates so we use less water. We order food twice a week. We are using detergent every now The machine is only used once a week,” she said.
Others headed to the mall to take a shower or use toilet facilities.
Lakshmi V, an IT professional living in Singasandra, has been requesting her company to allow work-from-home option so that she and her family can temporarily move to their hometown in Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, until the situation improves .
“We are considering pursuing work-from-home options if this situation continues. We plan to temporarily shift to our hometown in Tamil Nadu until the rains come here,” she said.
Bengaluru’s water supply comes mainly from two sources: the Cauvery River and groundwater. For most nonpotable uses, recycled water treated at a wastewater treatment plant is used. Since it hasn’t rained in a while, the main water source has reached its limit. Bengaluru requires 2600-2800 million liters of water per day and the current supply is only half of the requirement. The result is a daily struggle for the city’s residents.
Residents of Bengaluru’s suburbs have also borne the brunt, especially the 110 villages that were merged with Bengaluru city in 2007.
The crisis has also turned into a political battle between the ruling Congress government and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party in the state, with the Lok Sabha just weeks away. The Congress has accused the BJP-ruled federal government of not providing financial assistance to drought-hit Karnataka, even as the party staged several protests blaming the government.
