Pramesh S Jain
The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) has announced Cuvery water supply disruption on June 19 and 20,as all pumping stations under the Cauvery Water Supply Scheme (Stages 1 to 5) will undergo a scheduled 24-hour shutdown for emergency maintenance and infrastructure upgrades.
The water supply disruption and maintenance will begin at 6:00 AM on Thursday,June 19, and continue until 6:00 AM on Friday,June 20, affecting residential,commercial, and industrial areas across Greater Bengaluru.
The shutdown is necessary to facilitate the connection of a new 3,000-mm diameter pipeline to the Cauvery Stage V pipeline at T K Village, along with annual maintenance of power facilities and other essential works mandated by the Karnataka Electricity Transmission Corporation.
The agency has clarified that the decision was made to ensure an uninterrupted water supply and carry out the works in a timely and efficient manner.
As a result of the plant shutdown,water supply across the Greater Bengaluru Urban Area will be affected.
Residents,as well as commercial and industrial establishments,have been advised to store sufficient water in advance and use it judiciously during the maintenance window.
The reason for the Bengaluru water cut is twofold:
Integration of a new 3000 mm diameter pipeline under Cauvery Stage-5 at T.K. Halli.
Annual power station maintenance by KPTCL, which impacts water supply infrastructure.
The Cauvery Stage V project initiative is set to serve around 50 lakh (5 million) people living in areas such as Mahadevapura,Yeshwanthpur,Yelahanka,Bengaluru South,T. Dasarahalli,Byatarayanapura,Rajarajeshwari Nagar,Kengeri,and Bommanahalli.
It will boost the city’s water supply by 775 million litres per day (MLD)-equivalent to 10 TMCFT (thousand million cubic feet) annually-raising Bengaluru’s total supply from 1,450 MLD to 2,225 MLD, thereby easing the water stress in several growing localities.
BWSSB officials stated that these upgrades are crucial to improving water flow and managing long-term demand.
However,the temporary disruption will cause inconvenience to lakhs of residents who rely on daily Cauvery water supply.
Citizens are being urged to store sufficient water in advance to cope with the Bengaluru water cut.The board has also requested media outlets to circulate this information widely to avoid last-minute panic.
This Bengaluru water cut comes amid growing concerns over water scarcity, with several areas already dependent on tankers due to depleting groundwater levels.
