Cauvery Stage V to be commissioned over next few days; BWSSB launches campaign for individual connections

The trial run of the Cauvery Stage V is almost complete and the project will be commissioned over the next few days. “The works of Cauvery Stage V is completed and in the trial run, water has now come till Tataguni, on the outskirts of the city. We will launch Stage V next week,” said V. Ram Prasath Manohar, Chairman, Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB).

The trial run of the Cauvery Stage V is almost complete and the project will be commissioned over the next few days. “The works of Cauvery Stage V is completed and in the trial run, water has now come till Tataguni, on the outskirts of the city. We will launch Stage V next week,” said V. Ram Prasath Manohar, Chairman, Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB).

Cauvery V Stage draws 770 MLD, around 10 tmcft of water from Cauvery annually, for supply of piped water to 110 villages added to the city in 2007. Work on the project began in 2018. The project, which was taken up with a ₹5,500 crore loan from Japan International Cooperative Agency (JICA), missed several deadlines and work is complete now. 

In the light of this, BWSSB launched a campaign on Thursday asking individual households in 110 villages, which will get piped water supply from Cauvery river, to avail connections. “We estimate that there will be three lakh individual connections under Cauvery Stage V. Of that, 55,000 households have already taken connections. The trial run has shown these connections are secure. We now appeal to the rest to avail connections,” Mr. Manohar said. 

Deputy Chief Minister and Bengaluru Development Minister D.K. Shivakumar flagged off the campaign in front of the Vidhana Soudha, along with several other initiatives, on Thursday. 

Mr. Shivakumar also launched the United Nations Innovations Project for Water Security in Bengaluru city, a project taken up in collaboration with the UN and BWSSB. 

“This comprehensive project focuses on water management, the installation of rainwater harvesting systems, filling lakes with treated water, and promoting the use of eco-friendly, treated water through advanced technologies. The project also aims to maintain groundwater levels using modern techniques and explore new revenue streams,” Mr. Shivakumar said. 

The BWSSB also launched Varuna Mitra campaign under which 1,000 unemployed youth will be trained as Varuna Mitras (friends of rainwater) to scientifically install rainwater harvesting systems. This will also provide them with a livelihood opportunity, BWSSB said.