Water tariff hike inevitable in Bengaluru, says minister DK Shivakumar

Karnataka deputy chief minister and Bengaluru development minister DK Shivakumar has announced that a water tariff increase is unavoidable in the city.
He has attributed the reason behind the rise to the “ongoing financial difficulties” faced by the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB).
“There has been no water tariff hike in the last 12-13 years. The BWSSB is managing its finances with great difficulty. Water tariff hike is inevitable and it will be done irrespective of any opposition to it,” the Deputy CM said while speaking at the launch of the ‘Cauvery water at your doorstep’ campaign, according to ANI.
The deputy chief minister further explained that without an increase in water tariffs, the BWSSB might face collapse, impacting its ability to support its employees and manage basic operational costs, including electricity bills.
“We are still determining the exact amount and the segments to which the hike will apply,” he pointed out. “It is imperative to supply water to 140 crore people of Bengaluru. It is difficult to do so without investing in a larger distribution network.”
On a question about the proposal to privatise BWSSB service, he said that past experiences have show that privatisation leads to an increase in cost without any substantial benefits.
“Despite many proposals and past experiences, including a study I conducted on water utility privatization in France, I am resolute in opposing privatization of public utilities,” Shivakumar said, according to ANI.
“Adani and other companies have taken up responsibility for utilities in many cities including Mumbai. But I firmly told them that I would not allow the privatisation of public utilities. There have been many proposals for privatisation of utilities even during the times of JH Patel and SM Krishna,” he added.
During his interaction on Thursday, DK Shivakumar also spoke on the water supply issues in the city, highlighting that there has been an increase in water supply by 6 million litres per day (MLD) since he took office.
“We have released more than 100 TMC of water to Tamil Nadu and we can’t hold excess water currently. I am confident that we will get justice for Mekedatu balancing reservoir. We are also addressing the water crisis through efforts to recharge groundwater and manage dried-up borewells,” he said.
“There are proposals to bring drinking water to Bengaluru directly from KRS. We are also thinking of bringing water from Sharavathi, but there is opposition to it. Yettinahole has witnessed many twists and turns due to politicisation, but we have completed it to a certain stage,” he added.