Bengaluru, the Silicon Valley of India, is experiencing a severe water crisis as a result of critically low water levels, especially in the poorer areas. This has led to exorbitant water bills and a rapidly depleting supply. In order to make up for the 500 MLD daily water shortfall the city is experiencing this summer, the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) has set a new goal of saving 60 MLD of water per day through supply cuts to large consumers.

In recent weeks, the impacts have been increasingly apparent, particularly in the tech corridors with their blur of opulent residences, impoverished neighborhoods, cell phone stores, retail outlets, fertility clinics, and glittering workplaces. The next phase of supply cuts would be directed on businesses, apartment buildings, and industries that use between 20 lakh and 2 crore litres of water each day.

Residents of an up-market apartment complex in Bengaluru recently organized a large demonstration and shouted slogans against the builder, demanding water, amid the city’s water shortage. The event happened in Central Bengaluru’s Shapoorji Pallonji Parkwest, where apartments are valued at almost Rs 2 crore a piece. The protesters were seen carrying signs and yelling, “We want water!” in a video of the demonstration that has been making the rounds on social media.

In the meantime, a statement was issued by Shapoorji Pallonji Real Estate’s management to make it clear that they are making an effort to satisfy the water demands of the locals. It is regrettable that Bengaluru’s residents are inconvenienced by the city’s serious water problems, which include groundwater depletion and drying bore wells. As a conscientious developer, even after transferring daily activities to the society, we are trying our best to assist residents at our project and are working with the society office bearers to reduce the impact of the city’s water shortage,” a spokesperson for Shapoorji Pallonji told the media.

Bengaluru has a 500 million liters per day water shortfall, which is almost one-fifth of the city’s daily water requirement, as Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah recently underlined. He added that plans are in motion to provide Bengaluru with more water supplies. Over the past two decades, Bengaluru has become a key hub for IT and technology companies, attracting a sizable influx of workers. Professionals moving to the city in search of employment prospects has raised housing demand dramatically. But as the water issue worsens, individuals may begin to second-guess their choice to relocate to Bengaluru. This may cause the Bengaluru real estate market to temporarily slow down.