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Bengaluru water crisis: Experts call for Work From Home as companies offer perfumes to employees

As Bengaluru grapples with a severe water crisis, experts and legal figures propose implementing work-from-home policies for IT companies to alleviate strain on resources. Former Acting Chief Justice K. Sridhar Rao supports this, citing the potential to reduce the city's population temporarily and ease the water scarcity burden.

Bengaluru water crisis: Experts call for Work From Home as companies offer perfumes to employees vkp
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First Published Mar 26, 2024, 1:07 PM IST

The water crisis in Bengaluru has reached alarming levels, with residents facing severe shortages and dire consequences. As Silicon City grapples with dwindling water resources, both citizens and businesses are feeling the strain. Reports indicate that some areas are experiencing complete water unavailability, forcing residents to go without necessities and even forgo bathing before heading to work.

In response to the crisis, IT companies in Bengaluru are considering significant decisions to mitigate the impact. Water experts and legal advisors are urging these companies to implement work-from-home (WFH) policies temporarily. The rationale behind this proposal is simple yet profound: reducing the city's population, even temporarily, could alleviate the strain on water resources to some extent.

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Former Acting Chief Justice of Karnataka and Assam High Courts, K Sridhar Rao, has lent his support to this suggestion, highlighting its potential to address the water scarcity issue. Rao emphasized that allowing IT employees to work remotely from their hometowns could lead to a significant reduction in Bengaluru's population. With approximately 1.5 crore residents in the city, easing this burden, particularly during the water crisis, could offer much-needed relief.

Despite warnings from the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to refrain from wasting water during festivals like Holi, many residents have disregarded these directives, exacerbating the crisis.

Experts urge companies to provide WFH for employees

Amidst a severe water scarcity gripping India's Silicon Valley, Bengaluru, water experts and legal authorities are advocating for a temporary shift towards remote work in the city's prominent IT sector. With the Karnataka government acknowledging a staggering shortage of approximately 500 million litres per day (MLD), voices from various quarters are urging IT companies to allow their employees to work from their hometowns. 

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The proposal, supported by former Acting Chief Justice of Karnataka and Assam High Courts, K. Sridhar Rao, aims to alleviate pressure on Bengaluru's dwindling water resources by reducing the city's population load.

A coalition of water experts and legal luminaries has proposed a unique solution: facilitating a work-from-home (WFH) arrangement for the city's vast IT workforce. Rao drew parallels between the current crisis and Bengaluru's water woes in the 1980s. Rao emphasized that with the city's population soaring from 25-30 lakh to over 1.5 crores, the strain on water resources has become untenable.

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