Bengaluru will face a citywide water supply disruption for 60 hours, from September 15 to 17, owing to the emergency maintenance work taken up by the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB).
The BWSSB announced that pumping stations under Cauvery Stage V will be temporarily shut down, while maintenance will also be taken up at Phase-1 and Phase-2 pumping stations of Cauvery Stages I, II, III, and IV between 6 am on September 16 and 6 am on September 17.
“These works are essential to ensure the smooth functioning and sustained operations of pumping stations and major pipelines of the Cauvery Water Supply Project,” BWSSB Chairman V. Ram Prasath Manohar said.
Bengaluru draws its drinking water from a reservoir located 90 km away and about 350 metres below the city’s elevation. To pump this water uphill, BWSSB spends nearly Rs 3 crore every day on electricity—enough to meet only half the city’s demand. Currently, the four stages of the Cauvery Water Supply Project deliver around 1,460 million litres per day (MLD). With the commissioning of Cauvery Stage V, which will add another 750 MLD, daily electricity costs are expected to rise sharply.
The shutdown will affect water supply across all areas dependent on the Cauvery project. The board has urged residents to store sufficient water in advance.