As the water crisis in Bengaluru worsens, the call for adopting an online work and education model similar to the one during the Covid-19 pandemic has gained momentum. Residents of Silicon Valley, as Bengaluru is often referred to, are urging for a switch to remote work and virtual learning until the arrival of the monsoon. With the city already grappling with water scarcity and soaring temperatures, residents believe that implementing remote work and online education can help conserve water and alleviate pressure on both employees and students.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has been inundated with requests on social media platforms to make work from home mandatory for IT companies in the Silicon Valley and to allow schools to continue operating online. Residents and various citizen groups argue that if the online work model was successful during the Covid-19 pandemic, it can certainly be effective during the ongoing water crisis.
Weather enthusiasts in Bengaluru, expressing concern over the scorching hot days and severe water shortage, have urged the government to consider the work from home option until the monsoon arrives. They emphasize that such a mandate would enable many residents to return to their native towns, thereby reducing the demand for water in the city.
Citizens’ Agenda for Bengaluru highlights the potential benefits of online classes and remote work by stating that allowing students and employees to work from home could lead to a significant population shift away from the city, thus alleviating the pressure on water resources.
Acknowledging the urgency of the situation, citizens like Amit Chaudhury advocate for government intervention to promote work from home for companies capable of adopting this approach. This, they argue, would help lighten the burden on the city while allowing individuals to relocate to their hometowns temporarily.
Namma Whitefield, a federation of residents and resident welfare associations, urges the Karnataka government to mandate work from home, especially for the IT sector. They emphasize that this measure would facilitate the return of employees to their hometowns, thereby easing the strain on Bengaluru’s resources.
The water crisis in Karnataka, exacerbated by poor rainfall in the previous year, has been attributed to the El Nino effect by the Indian Meteorology Department. As summer sets in earlier than usual, both rural villages and urban wards, including those in Bengaluru, are vulnerable to drinking water shortages.
To address the dire situation, civic authorities have initiated measures such as filling drying lakes with treated water to replenish groundwater sources. However, the scarcity of water remains a pressing issue, particularly as the Krishnaraja Sagar Dam, a vital water source for Bengaluru, faces inadequate water levels due to the onset of summer.
The adoption of an online work and education model is being advocated as a crucial step to mitigate the impact of the water crisis in Bengaluru. With residents and citizen groups calling for government intervention, the emphasis is on conserving water and reducing the strain on the city’s resources until the arrival of the monsoon.
