The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board has intensified its Bengaluru water misuse crackdown, detecting 721 cases of drinking water being used for non-essential purposes and collecting Rs 36.05 lakh in penalties this month. The enforcement comes as the city manages uneven local supply despite reassuring storage levels in reservoirs that feed Bengaluru.
The violations included washing private vehicles, watering gardens, cleaning roads and footpaths, and using potable water for construction. Offenders were fined Rs 5,000 each after special enforcement teams inspected neighbourhoods across the city.
BWSSB Chairperson Dr N Manjula had warned in an order issued on July 6 that people violating the restrictions could face a penalty and a reduction of up to 50 per cent in their water supply under the Karnataka Water Supply and Sewerage Act, 1964. Repeat offenders may also face an additional fine of Rs 500 a day.
The board said its teams would continue inspections to discourage the non-essential use of treated water. The action follows BWSSB’s warning against wasting potable water while the civic agency responds to continuing pressure on Bengaluru’s water supply and demand.
BWSSB officials said the city was not facing an immediate water crisis. They pointed to satisfactory storage levels and inflows in the Krishna Raja Sagar and Kabini reservoirs, which supply Bengaluru, and said the available levels should help meet demand. An official described the reservoir position as encouraging and said there was no alarming situation at present.
The city’s supply picture, however, is uneven on the ground. Residents in parts of east and north Bengaluru continue to depend on private tankers, including households and apartment complexes located in areas with Cauvery pipelines. These residents say existing supplies are inadequate for their needs and have forced them to arrange alternative water sources.
Pump operators and watermen have also flagged disparities between the water required by local households and the quantities reaching some stations. According to the report, some stations receive only half the water needed to serve residents in their areas. The gap means that the city’s overall reservoir position does not necessarily translate into reliable supply at neighbourhood level.
BWSSB officials expect Bengaluru to avoid shortages for at least two months. At the same time, the board is preparing contingency measures for vulnerable areas, including the installation of Sintex tanks and the arrangement of tanker deliveries if required.
Dr Manjula said these arrangements were precautionary and that the situation had not yet reached the stage where they were necessary. The immediate enforcement priority remains preventing treated drinking water from being diverted to activities such as vehicle washing, gardening, road cleaning and construction, while BWSSB continues inspections and monitors supplies in areas facing local shortages.
