Parched summer this year

Summer is already here - & it seems like we are already in May, though we are still in mid-Feb.

With summer, the usual water & power shortage looms large - & the size of the shortage keeps increasing year after year.

Here is a report on today's TOI about the bleak summer ahead with water shortages. Also see this report about the city's outskirts.

Depletion of groundwater over the years has been well tabulated here.

Excerpts from another note :

At least 910 MLD (million litre per day) is being drawn from Cauvery river, including the first four phases and another 30 MLD from TG Halli reservoir. BWSSB is now relying on the Cauvery 4th stage 2nd phase project to supply water to greater Bangalore, hence fulfilling demand.
“We are supplying complete water to core areas, i.e. the erstwhile 100 wards. But with addition of the seven CMCs and one TMC and 110 villages to the former BMP limits, demand has increased. We are trying to distribute water supply from available sources,” said a BWSSB official. “By March 2012, people residing in the outskirts will definitely get water. We will get about 510 MLD from the Rs 3,800-crore project going for completion of the Cauvery 4th stage 2nd phase. All tenders have been floated. If you see the outskirts, water lines have already been laid,” the BWSSB official told TOI. The project has been taken with the assistance of Japan Bank of International Co-operation (JBIC).

Rain water harvesting is also being pushed ahead. In 2002, there were 2.4 lakh water connections, but now that number stands at 5.8 lakhs, though supply has remained same !