Bengaluru City Water Crisis: The ongoing water crisis in Bengaluru has claimed the lives of two elephants in the city and fresh protests have erupted in the residential societies as taps are running dry in several areas. The two elephants, both males, reportedly wandered over 50 kilometres (km) in search of water and finally dies in Ramanagara district, barely 35 km from the metropolitan area of Bengaluru, according to reports.
These two elephants reportedly died due to suspected dehydration and heatstroke. The death of these two animals highlights the dangers of water scarcity and scorching heat on wildlife, especially during dry periods, according to the forest officials.
The body of the first elephant, a 30-year-old male, was found in Yalavanatha village and the body of the second elephant was found dead in Bettahalli just a few kilometres away.
After the deaths were reported, scientists from the Centre for Ecological Studies at the Indian Institute of Science Bengaluru said that dry forage might have triggered the elephants’ deaths.
In the meantime, fresh protest erupted in several residential societies after taps ran dry in many areas. The residents of Shapoorji Parkwest Society in Central Bengaluru held a huge demonstration and demanded the builder provide them with water.
They complained that they have been facing trouble due to a lack of water supply for daily needs. Raising slogans like ‘we want water’, they said that the builder promised uninterrupted water while selling the flats.
Amid these developments, the Karnataka government said state is looking at treated water as a potential solution to overcome the water shortage in the city as it can be used for all non-essential purposes.
Addressing the concerns of the people due to water crisis, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said over 6,900 borewells out of 14,000 borewells in Bengaluru are currently running dry. He added that the issues will be resolved soon as monsoon rains are expected to arrive in the first week of June.
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