Staring at an acute shortage of drinking water in the Cauvery basin, state water resources minister MB Patil on Monday said rationing of water was "advisable" for Bengaluru city.
"The BWSSB's daily requirement will be met. The current estimates suggest we can afford to give 800 cusecs of water every day , and the current storage will last for 60 days. Drinking water will be available till June 15. Water rationing is advisable if the monsoon is delayed," said Patil.
The city needs 600 cusecs a day. Patil said the water resources department will release 800 cusecs a day from KRS and Kabini dams for BWSSB, taking into account evaporation, leakages and use by villages along the route. "It's up to the BWSSB how it does the rationing. Principal secretary (water resources) Rakesh Singh will have a second meeting with BWSSB chairman Tushar Giri Nath to discuss the details," the minister said.
The KRS and Kabini together have a live storage of 4.7 tmcft of water. Asked whether the department will use the dead storage if the monsoon fails, Patil said: "We'll take that call later."
About release of water to Tamil Nadu, Patil said no extra water has been released to it since October.
"The BWSSB's daily requirement will be met. The current estimates suggest we can afford to give 800 cusecs of water every day , and the current storage will last for 60 days. Drinking water will be available till June 15. Water rationing is advisable if the monsoon is delayed," said Patil.
The city needs 600 cusecs a day. Patil said the water resources department will release 800 cusecs a day from KRS and Kabini dams for BWSSB, taking into account evaporation, leakages and use by villages along the route. "It's up to the BWSSB how it does the rationing. Principal secretary (water resources) Rakesh Singh will have a second meeting with BWSSB chairman Tushar Giri Nath to discuss the details," the minister said.
The KRS and Kabini together have a live storage of 4.7 tmcft of water. Asked whether the department will use the dead storage if the monsoon fails, Patil said: "We'll take that call later."
About release of water to Tamil Nadu, Patil said no extra water has been released to it since October.