Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has directed officials to look into increasing water tariffs in Bengaluru after officials proposed a hike to meet losses.
Shivakumar, who is also the Bengaluru in-charge minister, directed Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) officials to prepare a report on multiple options to increase the water tariff in the city during a review meeting.
“For 11 years there has been no increase in water tariffs, leading to annual losses of Rs 1,000 crore. The electricity bill alone has surged from Rs 35 crore to Rs 75 crore,” he said.
BWSSB officials sought a hike, citing increasing losses to the Board, which could exceed Rs 1,000 crore after the Cauvery 5th Stage water supply is launched. This would leave the Board with little room to add new infrastructure, they said.
Last August too, Shivakumar had hinted at a hike in water tariffs, saying that the Board was struggling with losses.
BWSSB chairperson Ram Prasath Manohar had reached out to all MLAs and MPs from Bengaluru seeking their views on a proposed hike.
At present, domestic consumers pay between Rs 7 per kilolitre for the lowest slab and Rs 45 per kilolitre. A minimum charge of Rs 56 for domestic consumers is fixed. Commercial users pay between Rs 36 per kilolitre and Rs 60 per kilolitre.
Bengaluru faces a water shortage of about 500 million litres per day (MLD) while the total requirement is about 2,600 MLD. Meanwhile, groundwater levels are expected to dip further this summer, especially in areas like Mahadevapura and Whitefield. The BWSSB has already identified 80 wards, including 110 villages, as being highly dependent on groundwater through borewells and at strong risk of severe water shortages.