Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board is launching a rainwater harvesting campaign in Bengaluru during this monsoon to beat next summer. | Photo credit: file photo
The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) will deliver notices to 49,431 properties that pay fines every month for not installing rainwater harvesting (RWH) systems along with their water bills in June.
This is part of the campaign for RWH that BWSSB is launching in the city this monsoon to beat next summer. “We are forecast to have a deficit monsoon this year, which means we are likely to have a water crisis next summer like we had in 2024. We want to harvest as much rain as possible this year, which will also recharge the water table. This will dampen us next summer,” said V. Ram Prasath Manohar, chairman of the BWSSB.
“The notification will give them 15 days to install the RWH systems, failing which we are ready to install the systems at our own cost. For a house with a built-up area of 2,400 sq ft, it costs around ₹ 8,000 to ₹ 10,000. BWSSB will pay this cost up front, for installing RWH system, they will pay a fine for installing RWH system. for not installing RWH,” he explained.
All new buildings constructed after 2016 on lots 30 x 40 feet and above must install RWH systems and non-compliance is subject to a monthly penalty of 50% to 100% of the water bill. The BWSSB currently collects a fine of ₹ 4.56 lakh per month on an average just for not installing the RWH system.
“We will first launch an aggressive campaign to install RWH systems in these 50,000 properties that pay a penalty every month. In the next phase, we will target another 7 million properties that should also have RWH but are not penalized because they are older buildings,” said Dr. Manohar.
Published – 14 May 2026 18:34 IST
