The Karnataka Government has issued an order to utilise 24 TMC of Cauvery water annually for catering to the drinking water needs of Bengaluru City and its surrounding areas.
Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, who also holds the Water Resources portfolio, held a meeting with the Karnataka’s legal team in the national capital and said the Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) should utilise 24 TMC of Cauvery water for drinking purposes of Bengaluru.
Speaking to presspersons, Mr. Shivakumar said in 2018, the Supreme Court had stipulated that 24 TMC of water can be used for drinking water purposes in Bangalore. “But till now no one has taken any action in this matter,” he said. Currently, the BWSSB is utilising 18 TMC of water.
Noting the growth of Bengaluru on all fronts, Mr. Shivakumar said planning should be made keeping in mind the growth of the City in the next 20 years. Meanwhile, he said, “Water should be made available to surrounding areas including Anekal, Harohalli, Bengaluru North. We are also providing water to Kempegowda International Airport. Today Bengaluru North is growing at a rapid speed and there is a need to provide water,” he said.
When asked if Tamil Nadu would raise objections to the use of 24 TMC water for Bengaluru, he said, “Drinking water is our first priority, we are following the order given by the Supreme Court. Let them raise any objection, why should we give up our rights. We are now following the order given earlier (in 2018). We have given life to the Supreme Court’s order, we will reserve this amount of water in the KRS dam or any part of the Cauvery basin.”
