Bengaluru Residents Call For Work-From-Home Amid Water Crisis

Bengaluru's escalating water crisis prompts social media calls for a 90-day work-from-home mandate as residents grapple with severe shortages, while Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar addresses the unprecedented drought situation in the city.

Outlook Web Desk

Updated on: 11 March 2024 1:15 pm

Water crisis in Bengaluru

The persistent water scarcity in Bengaluru is causing inconvenience for its residents, with many local Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) implementing water-saving measures due to a limited water supply. Some social media users are suggesting a practical solution to the problem: advocating for a temporary work-from-home arrangement.

A concerned user, urged, "Please instruct IT organizations based in Bengaluru to announce 90 days Work from Home amid the ongoing water crisis." This sentiment is expressed by the popular weather blogger 'Bengaluru Weatherman,' who predicted a dry spell for the next month. In a post, he emphasized, "With sizzling hot days and a severe water crisis in Bengaluru city, and no major rains in sight for the month, it's high time that the Government of Karnataka considers the Work from Home option until the monsoon arrives."

HSR Layout Residents, through a social media account, called on IT companies to proactively enable remote working for their employees. A post from an X account stated, "IT companies need to come forward and allow employees to work from home, wherever possible. The water situation in Bengaluru is going from bad to worse, and there's nothing much we can do."

However, not everyone is convinced of the feasibility of this proposal. Some users expressed skepticism, suggesting that such a move could negatively impact the city's thriving real estate market. Another user in a counter perspective, remarked, "Companies should declare work from home for 3/6 months so that several people leave the city. This will also help in crashing the real estate market in the city! Which is exactly why it won't happen & people will continue suffering!"

Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar addressed the acute water shortage in Bengaluru, acknowledging the severity of the situation. He stated, "In the last 30-40 years, we had not seen such drought; though there was drought earlier, we had never declared such a large number of taluks as drought-affected."

Shivakumar also provided insights into the challenges faced by the city, mentioning, "Wherever Cauvery river water has to be supplied, (it) is being done, but out of 13,900 odd borewells in Bengaluru, about 6,900 borewells have become defunct." Despite the difficulties, he assured the public that the government has taken control of the situation and organized tanker deliveries to supply water to affected areas.