With temperatures rising earlier than usual in Bengaluru, the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) has identified 448 high-alert, water-stressed micro-pockets and rolled out a Rs 10.1 crore summer preparedness plan to avert shortages. According to a Times of India report, these vulnerable zones are not entire layouts or colonies but small, concentrated stretches within larger supply areas.
The India Meteorological Department has forecast daytime temperatures in the city to remain between 29°C and 30°C. The early onset of heat has prompted the BWSSB to act sooner than in previous years, when interventions were typically initiated only after complaints began to rise.
Most of the identified pockets are located in the interior parts of north and east Bengaluru, where residents depend heavily on groundwater and borewell sustainability remains uncertain. Officials said these limited clusters could face drinking water stress if groundwater levels decline sharply between March and May. To mitigate this risk, the BWSSB will deploy 1,260 mini water tanks, each with a capacity of 5,000 litres, as decentralised drinking water buffers.
In addition, 117 BWSSB tankers have been earmarked for summer supply. Another 104 private tankers have been empanelled as backup, and around 60 more are being arranged in anticipation of increased demand. Standard BWSSB tankers carry between 6,000 and 12,000 litres.
The Board also plans to set up 91 additional Cauvery water filling points and has arranged filling support for 196 RO plants across the city. Further, 47 water infrastructure works and 14 lake-filling projects are currently under way to strengthen supply during peak summer.
The early preparedness comes amid higher-than-normal February temperatures and uncertainty over groundwater levels. With improved Cauvery supply under the Cauvery Stage V augmentation project, the Board’s total pumping capacity now stands at 773 MLD. Of this, around 400 MLD is currently being utilised, leaving over 40% spare capacity that can be tapped if needed.