Bengaluru’s water misuse crackdown has detected 721 cases of drinking water being used for non-essential purposes this month, with the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board collecting Rs 36.05 lakh in penalties as the civic agency tries to manage demand across the city.
The violations included washing private vehicles, watering gardens, cleaning roads and footpaths, and using potable water for construction. Each offender was fined Rs 5,000 during a special enforcement drive launched after BWSSB warned residents against wasting treated water.
BWSSB Chairperson Dr N Manjula said in an order issued on July 6 that violators could face penalties 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 be charged an additional Rs 500 a day, according to the order.
Following the order, special enforcement teams inspected neighbourhoods across Bengaluru, identified violations and collected the fines. Officials said the inspections would continue to discourage the non-essential use of drinking water, particularly for activities that can be carried out with alternative sources.
The enforcement action comes amid continuing pressure on Bengaluru’s water distribution system, even though BWSSB officials said the city is not facing an immediate water crisis. The board said storage levels and inflows at the Krishna Raja Sagar and Kabini reservoirs remain satisfactory and should support the city’s requirements.
An official cited by Bangalore Mirror said there was “no alarming situation at present” because water levels in the reservoirs supplying Bengaluru were encouraging. BWSSB officials expect the city to avoid shortages for at least two months, based on current reservoir conditions and inflows.
That assessment, however, coexists with uneven supply in several parts of the city. Residents and apartment communities in parts of east and north Bengaluru continue to depend on private tankers, including some areas where Cauvery pipelines have already reached neighbourhoods. Households say the piped supply remains inadequate for their needs and they must arrange additional water independently.
Pump operators and watermen have also told the publication that some pumping stations receive only half the water required to serve local households. The claims point to a distribution challenge separate from the overall availability of water in reservoirs: adequate storage at the source does not necessarily translate into reliable supply at the neighbourhood level.
BWSSB is preparing contingency measures for vulnerable areas. The board plans to install Sintex tanks and arrange tanker deliveries if shortages emerge. Dr Manjula said such arrangements were being made in advance, although the board currently did not consider the situation severe enough to activate them.
The continuing inspections, the penalties and the planned contingency measures will determine how BWSSB balances conservation enforcement with uneven local supply. Officials have said enforcement teams will remain active, while the board will monitor reservoir conditions and vulnerable neighbourhoods over the coming weeks.
