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The Hindu
7 days ago
- Business
- The Hindu
BWSSB opens bulk booking for BIS-certified ‘Sanchari Cauvery' water for Bengaluru apartments
With numerous apartment complexes spread across the jurisdiction of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), especially in the newer areas or on the outskirts, the growing demand for water has put immense strain on groundwater resources, especially due to extraction by private suppliers. To address this, the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) has now introduced bulk booking for its 'Sanchari Cauvery' water supply service. The Sanchari Cauvery initiative delivers Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS)-certified drinking water to residential communities, including apartments and housing complexes. BWSSB Chairman Ram Prasath Manohar said the initiative has been started to reduce excessive dependence on groundwater and maintain water balance in the city How will the process work Booking will be on a first-come, first-served basis Minimum one month advance payment is mandatory System in place to ensure uninterrupted supply through bulk booking Option available to book for a duration of one year Highlighting the situation on the city's outskirts, Mr. Manohar noted that most apartments rely heavily on groundwater. 'People here are buying water through tankers to meet their drinking water needs. Tankers are also supplying water collected from borewells. This is increasing the pressure on groundwater. The BWSSB has taken the decision to reduce this and provide BIS-certified clean drinking water. From now on, apartments will be able to book the BWSSB's drinking water through tankers for their year-round water needs,' he said. According to the BWSSB, the booking system will operate on a first-come, first-served basis and can be accessed through the board's official website or designated contact points. Apartment associations are required to make an advance payment equivalent to at least one month's supply. Describing the project's scale and innovation, the BWSSB Chairman said, 'The Sanchari Cauvery project is India's first technologically advanced tanker project, which is providing essential water to the city through GPS tracking, supply stratification, and supply control centres.' He emphasised the board's long-term vision, stating, 'The BWSSB is transforming into a people's water board. Our aim is to ensure a secure water future for the next generation of Bengaluru. In this regard, this project has been extended to apartments as well with the aim of reducing dependence on groundwater.'
Time of India
24-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
Residents of Kamath Layout in Bengaluru cry for basic amenities
Bengaluru: Eighteen years after their locality was included under BBMP, residents of Kamath Layout in Channanayakana Palya, off Tumakuru Road, on the northwestern fringes of the city, are still waiting for basic amenities like safe roads and potable water. The residents say they made several rounds to their elected representatives and offices of the civic agencies concerned, but solutions promised to arrive imminently remained elusive. The recent rain spell saw three trees uprooted, damaging a four-wheeler in the locality. The locality has about 60-70 residential buildings and is home to about 500 people. While the locality's main road was asphalted, the eight cross roads have not been black-topped even once in the last two decades. "In the beginning, we were told all roads would be asphalted after the sanitary and Cauvery pipelines were laid. This work was wrapped up before Covid. But after that, only the main road was asphalted. The eight cross roads are yet to get any facelift. Their shoulder drains have been all but effaced," said Thammana Gowda, an advocate and resident of the layout for 13 years. "The layout borewells have gone dry. BWSSB recently started supplying Cauvery water once a week, and even that is not regular. This is despite many of us having paid the deposits," Gowda added. Umesh Murthy, another advocate who has lived in Kamath Layout since 2013, said the condition of the roads worsened since the Covid-19 pandemic. "Before that, there was at least some activity — engineers used to inspect the area. Now, nobody bothers. BWSSB dug up the roads for Cauvery pipeline work, but never restored them properly," he told TOI. "We even had to repair the layout gate ourselves. It's embarrassing that after all these years, we still lack basic infrastructure and have to fend for ourselves," said Murthy. The asphalted main road too has been of little solace for residents. The road caved in at two places on multiple occasions, and residents living near the spots are often seen filling them up on their own out of concern for motorists. Stray dogs are another big menace. "There have been multiple dog bite incidents, and streetlights stop working regularly. We live within BBMP limits, yet it feels like we're in a neglected corner outside the city. We're not asking for luxuries — just the basics," said Rajaram Shetty, a retired bank employee. Shanta Balasubramanya, an 84-year-old resident of the layout for 15 years, said, "After the cross roads were dug up to lay water and sanitary pipelines, stepping out for a short walk too has become a risky affair for senior citizens like me. " After repeated requests, local MLA ST Somashekar reportedly intervened and got borewells dug up about two years ago. But residents say borewells have since dried up, forcing them to rely entirely on private water tankers. "My monthly tanker bill hovers between Rs 2,500 and Rs 5,000, depending on the water scarcity situation," added Shanta. BWSSB officials said water testing is currently underway and regular supply of Cauvery water to the layout will begin in a few weeks. "We want to ensure proper water flow and check for pipeline damages. In 2–3 weeks, the locality should receive regular Cauvery water supply," a senior official said. MLA ST Somashekar assured residents once BWSSB completes its work, roads will be laid immediately. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Brother's Day wishes , messages and quotes !
Time of India
24-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
Not asking for luxuries, just basics like water, road: Bengaluru residents
BENGALURU: Eighteen years after their locality was included under BBMP, residents of Kamath Layout in Channanayakana Palya, off Tumakuru Road, on the northwestern fringes of the city, are still waiting for basic amenities such as safe roads and potable water. The residents say several visits to offices of elected representatives and civic agencies led to promises of immediate solutions, but they are yet to be fulfilled. The recent rain spell saw three trees uprooted, damaging a four-wheeler in the area. The locality has 60-70 residential buildings and is home to about 500 people. While the main road was asphalted, the eight crossroads haven't been black-topped even once in the last two decades. "At the beginning, we were told all roads would be asphalted after the sanitary and Cauvery pipelines were laid. This work was wrapped up before Covid. But after that, only the main road was asphalted. The eight crossroads are yet to get any facelift. Their shoulder drains have been all but effaced," said Thammana Gowda, an advocate and resident of the layout for 13 years. "The layout's borewells have gone dry. BWSSB recently started supplying Cauvery water once a week, and even that is not regular. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Tukarkan Bitcoin dan Ethereum - Tanpa Dompet Diperlukan! IC Markets MULAI SEKARANG Undo This is despite many of us having paid the deposits," Gowda added. Umesh Murthy, another advocate who has been living in Kamath Layout since 2013, said the condition of the roads has worsened since the Covid pandemic. "Before that, there was at least some activity - engineers used to inspect the area. Now, nobody bothers. BWSSB dug up the roads for pipeline work, but never restored them properly," he said. "We even had to repair the layout gate ourselves. It's embarrassing that after all these years, we still lack basic infrastructure and have to fend for ourselves," said Murthy. The asphalted main road too has been of little solace for residents. The road has caved in at two places on multiple occasions, and residents living near the spots are often seen filling them up on their own out of concern for motorists. Strays & streetlights Stray dogs are another menace. "There have been multiple dogbite incidents, and streetlights stop working regularly. We live within BBMP limits, yet it feels like we're in a neglected corner outside the city. We're not asking for luxuries - just the basics," said Rajaram Shetty, a retired bank employee. Shanta Balasubramanya, an 84-year-old resident of the layout for 15 years, said, "After the crossroads were dug up to lay pipelines, stepping out for a short walk too has become a risky affair for senior citizens like me. " After repeated requests, local MLA ST Somashekar intervened and got borewells dug up about two years ago. But residents say they have dried up, forcing them to rely on private water tankers. "My monthly tanker bill is between Rs 2,500 and Rs 5,000, depending on the water scarcity situation," added Shanta. BWSSB officials said water testing is currently under way. "We want to ensure proper water flow and check for pipeline damages. In 2-3 weeks, the locality should receive regular Cauvery water supply," a senior official said. MLA ST Somashekar assured residents once BWSSB completes its work, roads would be laid immediately.
Time of India
22-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Businesses suffer as prolonged roadwork hampers Bengaluru's Nehru Road
1 2 Bengaluru: For nearly a year now, the once-bustling commercial stretch of Nehru Road in Kammanahalli has been under repair, with debris, mud and dug-up pavements pushing customers away and hurting small businesses. The worsening road conditions have caused six or seven seven shops to shut down because of poor business. The work began in June 2024. When TOI reported on the issues in early Jan, BBMP officials had said the work would be done in three months. However, when TOI visited Nehru Road early in May again, the ground reality was as bad as it was in Jan. At present, BWSSB is carrying out drainage and water pipeline work. After this, BBMP will take up white-topping. The road is filled with mud, jelly stones, garbage, and pipes, and is uneven, with patch-up work being done in spots that were dug up. A hotel owner, who wished to remain anonymous, said they lost 40-50% of customers because of the work. "I started in 2019 and Covid hit my business badly. Just as I was recovering from the losses, this road issue came up. Customers come in only if the road is good and drivable, and only if commuters drop in do we have business. We are paying high rents here for these shops, so how should we bear rents, labour payments, and make profits? We aren't against any development work, but when the work is so slow, how long can we continue to bear losses?" While local MLA KJ George's team has promised to finish the work in the next 3-4 months, locals fear there may be a delay and monsoon will make it difficult to even walk on the road. In fact, a 100-metre portion from Nehru Road Circle towards Kullapa Road has been closed for the past three months. Ameen, a footwear shop owner, said: "The road in front of my shop has been closed for months is filled with mounds of mud, earth-digging machines and other vehicles... so how will customers come? Our concern is that there are two schools on this stretch, I can't understand how kids will walk in this mess from the first week of June when the schools reopen. What are we supposed to do? Who will listen to us?" Another shopowner, who has a biriyani joint on the same stretch, said they used to sell 4-5 boxes of biriyani, each weighing around 40kg. Now, it is down to one or two boxes. "The amount of dust rising from the road is discouraging people from coming and eating in open food joints." Fed up with the slow pace of work, the locals had a meeting with the MLA and officials seeking clarity on when Nehru Road would become presentable. A trader who wished not to be named said, "Developments are welcome but not at the cost of shutting down businesses. After a six-month delay in completion, we had a meeting with officials to check on the status of the project, and also pointed out the problems we are facing. The project has no timeline and no proper coordination between the agencies. "
The Hindu
22-05-2025
- General
- The Hindu
BWSSB to up sewage treatment capacity by 470 MLD in 26 new STPs by year-end
The Bangalore Water Treatment and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) is working towards adding 470 MLD capacity to treat sewage in 26 new Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) by the end of 2025. This would mean an addition of around 35% sewage treatment capacity to the existing 1,348.5 MLD capacity in 34 STPs, and take the city's treatment capacity to 1,818.5 MLD. The biggest of them all is coming at the Vrishabhavathi Valley, Mysuru Road, with a capacity of 150 MLD, followed by STPs at Hebbal and Horamavu of 60 MLD capacity each. Significantly, 14 of these new STPs with a combined capacity of 124 MLD are coming up in the 110 villages which are getting new water connections and Underground Drainage (UGD) lines. 'We are working towards completing these ongoing projects by December 2025. Many of the STPs in the 110 villages will be completed much before that as well,' said V. Ram Prasath Manohar, Chairman, BWSSB. 'Once these STPs are commissioned, our capacity to treat sewage will go up significantly. We are also investing in tertiary treatment of this water to ensure its use in the city for non-drinking purposes and filling lakes. This way we will conserve a lot of water,' he added. However, there is not enough demand for treated water from the existing STPs itself. Sources said the demand for treated water has fallen compared to the summer of 2024, when there was a severe water crisis. Gap in treatment capacity still remains The city currently has infrastructure to draw up to 2,220 MLD water from the Cauvery river, of which around 1,800 MLD is being drawn. This is expected to go up as more new connections are given under the Cauvery V Stage. In addition, the usage of groundwateris tough to quantify, which means thateven with these 26 new STPs (adding to a total treatment capacity of 1,818.5 MLD), there will still be a big gap in the city's treatment capacity. A survey taken up by the board after laying 1,538 km long UGD lines and building 14 STPs at a cost of ₹925 crore in 110 villages, shows that these areas still need over 400 km of UGD lines and 9 more STPs, which is estimated to cost around ₹850 crore. The board is expecting to take up these works under the World Bank's Karnataka Water Security and Resilience Programme, under which the international agency is giving a loan of ₹3,500 crore, and BWSSB is expected to get over ₹1,000 crore.
