Bengaluru : Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara on Monday predicted a drinking water crisis in Bengaluru as the Cauvery had reached its potential.

The state government, he said, was working on two alternatives to meet the city’s water needs.

“The process to implement the Cauvery Stage V has started, but this could be the last we can draw from the Cauvery,” Parameshwara, also Bengaluru Development Minister, told reporters after a six-hour meeting with city legislators, MPs and officials on the problems of the city.

The Cauvery Stage V aims to supply 775 million litres per day water to Bengaluru.

The government is considering the option of bringing water from Yettinahole near Sakleshpur to the Thippagondanahalli reservoir where it will be treated and then brought to Bengaluru. “There’s also a proposal to bring water from Linganamakki in Shivamogga to Bengaluru, for which I’ve asked authorities to prepare a detailed project report,” he said, adding that Bengaluru would require over 24 tmcft of water.

Parameshwara said he instructed the BBMP to resume the drive to clear rajakaluve (stormwater drain) encroachment. “Flooding is a big problem every year, especially in low-lying areas. People even die because of this. The encroachment removal drive will be taken up after the monsoon,” he said.

Almost all the city lakes have become polluted, Parameshwara said, adding that officials had been asked to take measures “on a war footing” to rejuvenate them.

The government will set up waste-to-energy units in all the six municipal solid waste processing units. “Waste-to-energy will be the solution for Bengaluru’s garbage problem. There are two proposals before the government to set up waste-to-energy plants, which will be approved soon,” he said.

The state government has also approved the BBMP’s budget proposal of Rs 10,000 crore. “It was also decided that a special package should be provided for the overall development of the 110 villages that were brought under the city limits,” he said.

A regulatory mechanism will be developed to ensure the BBMP and the police work together to regulate traffic. Hebbal, Goraguntepalya and KR Puram were major bottlenecks, he said, for which the government was taking up infrastructure works.

Notwithstanding the previous government’s decision to split the BBMP into multiple corporations, Parameshwara said the report of an expert committee to restructure the civic body will be discussed. “I have the BS Patil committee report, but I’ve not read it fully.”

A whopping 5,000 acres belonging to the BDA, which Parameshwara said is estimated to be worth Rs 25,000 crore, will be regularised. “These lands have been encroached upon. There are cases in court. I’ve asked officials to vacate the court cases so that encroachment can be cleared and lands can be regularised.”