People collect free drinking water from a tanker owing to the ongoing water crisis in Bengaluru.
| Photo Credit: PTI
Amidst a severe water crisis, many opted for dry Holi celebrations in the city on Monday. Owing to a ban on the use of potable water for Holi parties, most restaurants who had announced pool dances and rain dance parties had cancelled them.
The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) had served notices to at least two top-end restaurants who had announced pool parties and rain dance for Holi parties. The two hotels had cancelled the parties.
However, taking advantage of jurisdictional issues, parties moved to just outside the civic limits where the BWSSB ban did not apply. At least one such case was brought to the notice of the board. However, a senior official said the resort was outside their jurisdiction and couldn’t enforce the ban.
Meanwhile, V. Ram Prasath Manohar, Chairman, BWSSB, said that while celebrating Holi was not an issue, commercialising it and organising parties was not right, especially amidst a water crisis. “If anyone complains and brings to our notice of any such parties where potable water was wasted, we will take stringent action such people,” he said.