Water woes | BWSSB commandeers all borewells at construction sites of projects of over 20,000 sqft built-up area in Bengaluru

The .board had recently issued an order banning the use of potable water — both Cauvery river water and borewell water — for non-essential purposes, including for construction.

Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) has issued an order commandeering all borewells at construction sites beyond 20,000 sqft in Bengaluru.

The board had recently issued an order banning the use of potable water — both Cauvery river water and borewell water — for non-essential purposes, including for construction. In a meeting with builders, BWSSB had assured builders in Bengaluru that the board would provide them treated water for their needs. The board has said that they can provide up to 1,300 MLD water daily.

In furtherance of this move, BWSSB has commandeered all borewells at construction sites above 20,000 sqft. Water from these borewells will be supplied by the board to parched areas, sources said.

The order has not gone down well with builders.

“In an emergency situation like this, government will have to take some extraordinary measures. We need to cooperate, and we will. But the board needs to ensure that we are also not inconvenienced beyond a point. Construction industry is a high job generating sector. If the sector is severely hit, it may create a labour crisis,” said Suresh Hari, Secretary, Confederation of Real Estate Developers Association of India (CREDAI) - Karnataka.

Mr. Suresh Hari said, “BWSSB is yet to put in place a foolproof supply chain for treated water to construction sites. These borewells are also sources of drinking water for workers at the site. BWSSB taking them over will create new problems.”

According to a builder, “Builders need to go to the source of treated water and fetch it to their site. Many builders do not have tankers, and they are hard to come by even in the market. Tanker dealers are not ready to transport treated water. There are many practical difficulties. Without settling these, if BWSSB takes over our borewells, it will create problems for the construction sector.”