Bengaluru families spend ₹3,000 monthly on water, survey finds
The Water Satyagraha campaign warns of a 600 MLD water supply deficit in the city.
Economically weaker families in Bengaluru are spending approximately ₹3,000 every month on drinking water from private tankers, according to a preliminary water audit by the Water Satyagraha campaign. The campaign reported that these costs are higher than the ₹2,000 monthly assistance provided to women under the Karnataka government's Gruha Lakshmi scheme.
The campaign, which conducted household surveys, expects the city to face a daily water supply deficit exceeding 600 million litres (MLD). The audit found that Bengaluru currently receives about 1,470 MLD of Cauvery water, while the estimated daily demand exceeds 2,100 MLD, as reported by The Hindu.
Syed Ahmed Hussain, the campaign convenor and KPCC vice-president, stated that the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) lacks the authority to regulate prices set by private tanker operators. He noted that some middle-class families spend up to ₹54,000 annually on drinking water.
Mr. Hussain alleged that the BWSSB tests between 80 and 150 water samples daily but does not release ward-wise data regarding pipeline leakages or contamination. He added that nearly 27 per cent of the city's piped water is lost to theft, leakage, and unbilled consumption.
The survey also highlighted that the city generates 2,120 MLD of sewage daily, with 772 MLD remaining untreated. Volunteers from the campaign aim to survey 3 lakh households by March 2027 to submit their findings to the state government.