As summer approaches, demand for Cauvery water connections go up 

Residents in Bangalore are rushing to apply for Cauvery water connections as groundwater levels continue to decline.

“We are almost fully dependent on water tankers, and the borewell we have is of little help during the summer. Groundwater levels are projected to decline further this time as well. After the ordeal of 2024, we did not want to take any chances and applied for a Cauvery water connection last month. We will get it by the time summer peaks,” said Ashok K.H., president of the residents’ association of Sobha Forest Edge apartment complex, off Kanakapura Road.

Though the initial response to the Cauvery V Stage was lukewarm, with summer approaching, demand has surged. “The response to our campaign is very good. The number of applications has increased dramatically,” said V. Ram Prasath Manohar, Chairman, Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB).

Data shows that in 2024, the Board received 58,543 applications and provided 38,013 new connections, earning a revenue of ₹887.82 crore. Work on providing connections to the remaining approximately 20,000 applicants is under way. Most of these applications came after October 16, 2024, when Cauvery V Stage, for which the Board had taken a loan of ₹5,500 crore, was commissioned. Before this, 55,000 residents had received connections.

“The monsoons in 2024 were good, unlike in 2023. Water availability in the Cauvery basin is good, and we will be able to draw the 2,220 MLD assigned to us, including from Cauvery V Stage, if needed. However, demand from Cauvery V Stage is not yet at full capacity. Those who have Cauvery water connections will likely not have any water issues this summer. There won’t be supply cuts like last summer. But those dependent on groundwater will feel the pinch,” Mr. Manohar said, appealing to residents in 110 villages to avail themselves of connections immediately.

A recent study by the Indian Institute of Science has predicted that groundwater levels will deplete by up to 20-25 metres in 110 villages that have been dependent on groundwater for decades, and Cauvery V Stage is all set to serve these areas by March-April 2025.

Following instructions by Deputy Chief Minister and Bengaluru Development Minister D.K. Shivakumar, BWSSB is exploring legal options to make availing Cauvery V Stage connections mandatory for apartment complexes. “We feel this can be done legally to avoid overexploitation of the underground water table. We will soon submit a proposal to the state government,” Mr. Manohar said.

Eight of the 110 villages — four villages around Kadugodi in the east and four villages around Chokkanahalli in the north — are yet to get water supply networks. “We need land to build ground-level reservoirs (GLRs) in these villages, which has run into a legal dispute, and the case is pending in court. Without a GLR, we cannot provide water supply,” said Mr. Manohar.