Bengaluru Water Crisis: BJP's Lok Sabha Campaign Takes Aim at Congress, Highlighting Bengaluru's Water Crisis

With the city's extreme water shortage worsening day by day, the opposition BJP party without leaving any chance made whopping allegations against the ruling Congress party. The leader of the opposition R. Ashoka blamed Congress that the government's inefficiency had led to a situation where many multinational companies are considering leaving the city. The BJP alleged that the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government failed to handle the severe water crisis in Bengaluru. Speaking ahead of a BJP party poll planning meeting MP Tejasvi Surya said, “This is a man-made or Congress-made water crisis in Bengaluru.” Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar criticized BJP for playing politics over water shortage in Bengaluru. He asked the BJP to approach the central government for permission for the Mahadayi and Mekedaatu projects. He claimed the BJP created water scarcity. He further said, "The water problem is due to lack of rain in the state. The government is already working to fix the water issue and I directed the BWSSB officials to come up with solutions.”

The BJP had held a protest in Bengaluru brandishing empty colourful water pots and wearing Siddaramaiah masks to protest the Congress regime's claimed inefficiency in the face of the water scarcity crisis in the city. The leaders met with the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) Chairman Ram Prasath Manohar after the protest to submit a memorandum regarding the water crisis. MP Tejasvi Surya said, “The Congress government in Karnataka does not have any plan of action for resolving this. We've demanded that CM Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM DK Shivakumar visit water-stressed areas, come up with a detailed action plan, and address the situation on a war footing.”

CM Siddaramaiah said that Bengaluru needs 2600 million litres of water daily (MLD) and is short by 500 MLD. Of this, 1450 MLD is being provided by the Cauvery River and 650 MLD is being provided by borewells in the city. CM said that 6900 borewells in the city out of 14000 have dried up and 55 out of 110 villages added to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagar Palika (BBMP) are facing a water crisis.  Leader of Opposition R Ashoka tweeted pictures of Tamil Nadu dams filled with Cauvery water after Congress released water from the Krishna Raja Sagara KRS Lake, a day after CM Siddaramaiah claimed that not a single drop was being released. Ashoka said that the pictures were proof that silently the Karnataka government is releasing water to Tamil Nadu.  CM said, “I have instructed officials to increase the groundwater level by filling important lakes in Bengaluru with treated water.” But experts don't encourage its use in filling lakes. Close to 50% of the sewage treatment plants (STP) in B'luru don't comply with the National Green Tribunal's norms and they are yet to be upgraded.  Dr. Ramprasath Manohar V, BWSSB chairman assured that the board is pumping treated water into the lake after stringent tests. He said, "We will ensure water is tested by an independent laboratory to ensure quality is up to the standards and all STPs are upgraded to meet the NGT standards."