Bengaluru Water Crisis: Rain Dance and Pool Parties at Hotels on Holi Red-Flagged

In the midst of a debilitating water crisis in the tech capital of India, the Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewage Board (BWSSB) has appealed to commercial and recreational establishments not to use Cauvery water or bore well water for rain dance or pool parties while celebrating the festival of Holi on March 25, Monday.

The BWSSB said it has no objection to traditional celebrations of Holi or celebrations in residential establishments. But it’s not appropriate to arrange rain dance and pool dance for commercial and entertainment purpose when ground water levels have dipped due to poor rain in the city, it emphasized.

Parts of 110 villages on the outskirts of the city added to Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) limits in 2008 are facing water crisis after the ground water levels in the area dipped following a failed monsoon this year. Most of the area is yet to get Cauvery water pipeline with the project expected to be completed only in June.

The BWSSB advisory on Holi celebrations came after concerns were raised by citizens about commercial establishments like big hotels and event companies planning to organise pool parties and rain dance for Holi celebration despite the water crisis.

Earlier this week, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah held a high-level meeting to assess the situation and said that the state had enough storage of drinking water in Cauvery and Kabini, and sufficient water was available till the end of June. There is 11.02 thousand million cubic feet (tmc) water storage in KRS dam and 9.02 tmc in Kabini dam, both built across the Cauvery river.

“Out of 14,000 government bore wells in the city, 6,900 are dry. Hence the problem. Out of 110 villages newly added to BBMP, 55 villages have water problem. Around 775 megaliters per day (MLD) of additional water to these areas will be available after the completion of Cauvery Phase 5 work by the end of June. It will be supplied to 110 villages. We are drilling new bore wells at 313 places. Around 1,200 inactive bores will be revived,” the CM said.

According to the state government, the city needs 2,600 MLD of water, of which 1,450 MLD is coming from the Cauvery and 650 MLD from ground water through borewells. There is a shortage of 500 MLD.