Bengaluru: Over 58,000 residents seek new Cauvery water connections from BWSSB

The demand for Cauvery water in Bengaluru has surged, with over 58,000 applications submitted to BWSSB in 2024. Following last year’s severe drought, residents turned to Cauvery water as borewells dried up. BWSSB aims to provide 1.5 lakh connections by 2025.

The demand for Cauvery drinking water has surged in Bengaluru, with over 58,000 residents applying for new connections from the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB). This application spike follows the severe drought that gripped the city last year, leaving borewells dry and residents struggling for daily water needs.  

With the completion of the Cauvery 5th Stage Project, the drinking water supply has now reached 110 villages on the outskirts of Bengaluru. However, as borewells dried up and private tankers charged exorbitant rates, thousands of residents turned to BWSSB for a reliable water source.  

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In 2024 alone, BWSSB received around 58,000 applications for Cauvery water connections. Notably, 86% of these applications were submitted after May, indicating a sharp rise in demand after the drought. Last year, BWSSB approved over 38,000 new water connections, generating a revenue of ₹887.82 crore.  

The Cauvery 5th Stage Project currently supplies 775 MLD (million litres per day) of water, and the board aims to provide over 1.5 lakh connections by 2025 to meet the growing demand.  

Here’s a breakdown of applications submitted and connections provided across Bengaluru:  

- Bengaluru East: 12,421 applications | 8,267 connections  
- Bengaluru West: 18,512 applications | 12,130 connections  
- Bengaluru North: 8,197 applications | 5,341 connections  
- Bengaluru South: 19,413 applications | 12,275 connections  

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The water crisis last year was one of the worst in recent memory. Residents who depended solely on borewells were left without water, while the tanker mafia took advantage of the situation, charging high rates. This pushed thousands of people—homeowners, apartment residents, and gated communities—to seek permanent solutions through BWSSB’s Cauvery water supply.