Amid water crisis in B'luru, BWSSB bans usage of potable water for non-essential purposes
Bengaluru (PTI): Amid water crisis in the city, Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) has banned usage of potable water for non-essential purposes and those found violating the prohibitory order would be fined Rs 5,000.
Noting that the supply of drinking water to all is essential, the BWSSB said at present, temperature is rising in the city everyday and the ground water level has decreased due to lack of rains in recent days. So, it is necessary to prevent wastage of water in the city of Bengaluru.
It has been made necessary for the public to use drinking water sparingly, it said.
In the public interest, under Sections 33 and 34 of the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Act 1964, the BWSSB issued an order on March 7 prohibiting usage of potable water in the city of Bengaluru for cleaning vehicles, construction of buildings and roads, for entertainment purposes or decorations like fountains.
Malls and cinema halls are permitted to use water only for drinking.
''In case of violation of prohibitory order, a fine of Rs 5,000 will be applicable for the first time offence and recurrence of this violation will result in a fine of Rs 5,000 with an additional penalty of Rs 500 per day,'' it stated.
The public have been urged to use water judiciously and immediately inform the Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board's call centre 1916 if anyone is found violating the prohibitory order.
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Iran-US talks in Islamabad held via indirect, direct channels: sources
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Islamabad (PTI): The Iran-US peace talks were conducted first indirectly through Pakistan and later through direct negotiations between the two sides, official sources said on Sunday.
Pakistan remained involved at every stage of the process, with the talks beginning with separate meetings of the US and Iranian delegations with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday.
This was followed by an exchange of messages between the two sides through Pakistani interlocutors, the sources said.
The Iranian delegation was led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqir Galibaf, while the US team was headed by Vice President JD Vance.
According to sources, the negotiations then moved to direct talks between the visiting delegations, which continued for about two-and-a-half hours in the presence of Pakistani officials.
In the next phase, a one-hour break was taken and technical aspects of the demands presented by the two sides were discussed at the expert level. The exchange of messages on technical aspects continued until late at night.
However, by Sunday morning, it became clear that the differences could not be bridged, leading US Vice President JD Vance to announce at a brief press conference that the talks ended without a deal.
The sources said Pakistan remains hopeful of further rounds of talks, though no date or venue has been finalised so far.
The Pakistani government had earlier said it would continue to play its role as a mediator and expressed hope that the talks would prove to be a step towards resolving the dispute.
The Iranian delegation had arrived in Islamabad on Friday night, while the US team arrived on Saturday morning.
The US side also included President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, while Iran was also represented by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and other senior leaders.
The two sides travelled to Islamabad, days after Iran and the US announced a two-week ceasefire on April 8. It was the first direct, high-level engagement between Iran and the US since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
The failure to arrive at an agreement following the face-to-face negotiations between the two sides raised doubts over the effectiveness of their fragile two-week ceasefire as well as the prospect of reopening the Strait of Hormuz to stabilise the global energy market.
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