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The water tanker motorists who keep 'India's Silicon Valley' Bengaluru going

Basavaraj, a water tanker driver in India's tech hub Bengaluru, has to leave home by 6:30 a.m. each day to collect enough water for his customers, who now depend upon his services for a very basic need.

Residents of the southern city of 14 million individuals, capital of Karnataka state and typically called India's Silicon Valley, have been reeling due to water shortages in the middle of abnormally hot weather condition.

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The 22-year-old fills his tanker at a manufactured swimming pool fed by four boreholes in the north of the city, then does rounds of 4 or five buildings whose locals are his routine clients.

The pool's owner Nandish states he can provide fewer tankers now.

Around 40 tankers used to come here every day earlier now only about 15-20 come as water from the bore wells has likewise decreased, he stated.

As soon as dotted by lakes and forest cover, Bengaluru has lost 79% of its bodies of water and 88% of its green cover over 40 years, while locations covered by concrete have increased 11-fold, according to the Indian Institute of Science.

With summer yet to reach its peak, water tanker dealers started charging some residents almost double the amount per tanker, forcing the state government to cap rates at 1,200 rupees ($ 14) per unit - triggering a brief strike by some water tank service providers.

Daisy, 60, lives near to Basavaraj and beside an independently owned borehole supplying water in your area free of charge. The water is Cleansed for drinking, and the waste water is drained pipes out even that liquid is in demand now.

We had to fight with the owner of the borewell to offer us drainage, Daisy said. We utilize it to wash meals and clothing. ($1 = 83.5300 Indian rupees)

(source: Reuters)