The BWSSB extends the jurisdiction to cover the entire urban district of Bengaluru
Residents collect water distributed by a water tanker in Bengaluru on Thursday. The BWSSB will now be responsible for the planning, implementation, operation and maintenance of drinking water supply in the newly added areas. | Photo credit: SUDHAKARA JAIN
The Urban Development Department (UDD) on Thursday announced the expansion of the operational reach of the Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB), extending its jurisdiction to the entire Bengaluru urban district.
Until now, the BWSSB’s mandate was limited to the core city area, which included the former seven City Municipal Councils (CMCs), one City Municipal Council (TMC) and 110 villages covering an area of roughly 800 km2.
With the new notification, the jurisdiction now extends over the entire district to include five taluks in their entirety, including North, East, South, Yelahanka and Anekal and the villages therein.
The BWSSB will now be responsible for the planning, implementation, operation and maintenance of drinking water supply, underground sewerage systems and safe disposal of waste water through treatment plants in the newly added areas.
Combined Master Plan
A combined master plan will be prepared for the entire Bengaluru metropolitan area outside the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) limits to provide drinking water and sewage infrastructure, Greater Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda said on Friday.
The minister said that the BWSSB has been directed to assess the drinking water requirements for the next five and ten years and beyond. The plan will cover water reservoirs, treatment plants and distribution networks.
A similar plan will be prepared for underground sewerage networks and sewage treatment plants, Mr. Gowda said, adding that the implementation would be done in phases in line with the expansion of the city.
The guidelines were issued in a meeting attended by BWSSB, Bengaluru Metropolitan Region Development Authority (BMRDA) and Minor Irrigation Department.
Groundwater levels
The minister stated that the extraction of groundwater has skyrocketed beyond a sustainable level and that external intervention is necessary to restore groundwater levels. To this end, the government has also directed the minor irrigation department to prepare plans to use treated sewage water from Bengaluru to fill lakes around the GBA limits, he noted.
The government said agencies were tasked with preparing detailed plans for consideration to address infrastructure needs ahead of urban expansion.
Mr. Gowda said the move comes at a time when urbanization has exceeded the GBA limits, with rapid growth in municipalities and gram-panchayats around the city.
Published – 25 Sep 2026 22:14 IST