Bengaluru: Amid Bengaluru’s worsening groundwater crisis and a red alert from IISc scientists, the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) has prohibited borewell drilling in the city.
Citing concerns over depleting water levels and an upcoming harsh summer, the board stated that restrictions will remain in place year-round. The state government has warned of strict legal consequences for violations.
The BWSSB has stopped accepting new applications for borewell drilling as part of its recent ban, citing severe groundwater depletion and an IISc report highlighting critical conditions in 80 city wards.
BWSSB Chairperson Ram Prasath Manohar explained that despite heavy extraction, groundwater recharge remains limited. "There is enough Cauvery water to supply areas facing a crisis, along with our existing borewells," he told TOI.
A senior BWSSB engineer noted that while borewell permissions were granted in 2024 due to delays in the Cauvery 5th stage project, the situation has now changed with Cauvery water readily available. Therefore, no new borewell permits are being issued.
However, Manohar clarified that exceptional cases from government agencies will be carefully reviewed before any approvals are granted.
