Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has announced that the state government will take over all private water tankers in Bengaluru to address the water crisis in the city. Residents across the city are reportedly forced to shell out nearly Rs 2,000 for 12,000 liters of water, almost double the amount that they used to pay in January. 

Speaking to the media, Shivakumar said that the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) has been instructed to ensure the registration of all water tankers and borewells before March 7 on a portal created by Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP).

“The state government has been holding daily meetings with officials from BWSSB and BBMP to tackle the water crisis. More than 200 taluks, including parts of Bengaluru, have been declared drought-hit. There is a huge depletion in the groundwater levels. We will issue a formal circular on March 4 after holding a meeting with government officials,” Shivakumar said.

BBMP Chief Civic Commissioner Tushar Giri Nath recently said that if the water tanker operators fail to register themselves on the BBMP portal, the vehicles will be seized and used to supply water to arid regions in 110 villages for free.

BWSSB chairperson Ram Prasath Manohar V had told TNM that out of the city’s 10,955 borewells, 1,214 have dried up completely, with an additional 3,700 experiencing significant reductions in water levels.