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A Reddit post by a Bengaluru homebuyer has sparked a debate over the realities of the city’s booming eastern IT corridors, where buyers are paying ₹2 crore and more for homes in Whitefield and Sarjapur despite water shortage. Several Reddit users noted that residents often pay ₹5,000– ₹8,000 a month to fund tanker water during dry months, while others advised prospective buyers to seek written confirmation of water sources from the developer before buying a property instead of relying on verbal assurances.
“I’m a Bangalore native. The first thing my parents told me to check was water,” the Redditor wrote, calling it “old-school advice” that remains relevant. While over half of Bengaluru receives Cauvery water, most large developments in Whitefield, Sarjapur, and nearby IT corridors do not.
Instead, buyers are drawn by expansive clubhouses, gyms, and premium branding, they say. Another Redditor wrote, “Buyers focus on materialistic things like amenities and forget about water.” Another commenter summed up the mindset more cynically: “You can’t go to parties and show off good air and water, can you?”
The result is what several Redditors describe as a FOMO-driven housing market, where lifestyle optics outweigh long-term livability.
Also Read: After Delhi-NCR, AQI and water issues on the checklist of prospective homebuyers in Bengaluru
Tanker economy and rising costs
Many residents acknowledge that tanker water has become the default solution. “Bangalore is surviving on tanker water. Everyone knows that,” one Redditor said, questioning why shortages still surprise buyers.
Maintenance costs reflect this dependence. Redditors say buyers pay ₹5,000– ₹8,000 per month largely to fund tanker supplies during dry months. While some buyers claim to have found projects with relatively stable groundwater, even they acknowledge the uncertainty as aquifers continue to deplete.
Several Redditors advised prospective buyers to demand written confirmation of water sources rather than relying on verbal assurances. “Most developers orally confirm Cauvery water but remain non-committal,” one user noted, adding that the burden ultimately falls on buyers to decide whether to proceed.
Others pointed out that developers are required to obtain approvals from agencies such as BWSSB before construction, including indicative timelines for utility connections. “Reputed developers make these documents available transparently,” one Redditor said, warning buyers not to rely solely on glossy brochures.
According to one user, Bengaluru was originally designed around lakes and local water systems, with Cauvery meant as a supplement, not a crutch.
Why does Bengaluru face water shortage?
Water activist Vishwanath Srikantaiah noted that Bengaluru’s water stress is unevenly distributed throughout the city. Established neighbourhoods such as Jayanagar, he said, benefited from structured urban planning and continue to maintain relatively stable groundwater levels, whereas recently developed and fast-growing areas are bearing the brunt of the shortage.
Compounding the problem is the limited reach of the city’s piped water network. Large swathes of areas added to Bengaluru’s limits in 2007 still lack formal supply connections, forcing residents to depend heavily on borewells and tanker water, sources that are increasingly unreliable as groundwater levels decline, said experts.
They said that in 2007, 110 villages were added to Bengaluru, spread across Mahadevapura, Yelahanka, South, and RR Nagar zones, many of which do not have access to municipal piped water supply.
Officials at the Greater Bengaluru Authority said that the apex body has already started working on a ward-level climate action plan. This will also address urban issues like flooding and water shortage, they said.
(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)
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