BENGALURU: The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board ( BWSSB ) seem to have got locked in a battle on how to handle the water crisis dogging several parts of the city.While corporators pointed out that around 100 villages, which were added to the BBMP in the recent years, were reeling under a severe water shortage, the BWSSB officials told the corporators: “We will supply Cauvery river water free of cost, but you have to get your tankers to distribute it.”The issue rocked the BBMP council meeting on Saturday with corporators, cutting across party lines, questioning BWSSB on the measures taken to address water shortage across the city this summer. “Why are you not supplying water to the affected areas,” was the poser from the corporators.The BWSSB, however, lobbed the ball back into the BBMP court, stating it was ready to provide Cauvery water free of cost if the corporatos help in mobilising private water tankers. BWSSB additional chief engineer D Suresh said: “BWSSB is providing Cauvery water to core areas of Bengaluru, city municipal council (CMC) and town municipal council (TMC) areas while it is responsibility of BBMP to provide water to 110 villages. These villages are facing acute water shortage. If corporators are ready to provide water tankers, then we are ready to provide Cauvery water free of cost.”However, Congress leader Abdul Wajeed took objection to the logistics suggested by the BWSSB. “If corporators were to provide private tankers for water supply, then who will pay for the diesel cost,” he asked. Another corporator said the BWSSB cannot escape from discharging its primary duty, citing non-availability of tankers. Wajeed charged the BWSSB with not handling the water issue effectively.Opposition leader Padmanabha Reddy said: “BWSSB had claimed there will be no water shortage this summer while the reality is that it is the first time that the city is facing water crisis in the last two decades. The BWSSB has failed to get exemption from the poll code to dig new borewells.”BBMP special commissioner (solid waste management) D Randeep said the election commission has allowed the civic agency to supply water through tankers. BWSSB additional chief engineer Suresh said the groundwater table has been hit due to non implementation of rainwater harvesting strictly.

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