Bengaluru's $22 Billion IT Corridor Affected by Water Crisis, ORRCA Sounds Alarm

Bengaluru: The Outer Ring Road Companies Association (ORRCA) in Bengaluru has raised concerns about a shortage of water supply, media reports said. ORRCA said so while representing technology parks, IT or ITeS companies, and software development and research centres along the city's tech corridor, spanning 17 kilometres from KR Puram to Central Silk Board.

Krishna Kumar Gowda, operations manager at ORRCA, speaking to a leading news organisation said he is worried over the overall scarcity of water supply affecting households, office complexes, and campuses. He added the need for companies to conserve water and urged authorities to take steps to address the gap between demand and supply.

Manas Das, President of ORRCA, too highlighted the reality of water shortage and its potential future impact on operations. He stressed the importance of companies regulating water consumption to tackle this crisis.

Bengaluru's $22 Billion Tech Corridor Affected by Ongoing Crisis

According to ORRCA, IT firms along the ORR contribute significantly to Bengaluru's total IT revenue, amounting to roughly 22 billion dollars or 32 percent. Industry associations, including NASSCOM, have requested the declaration of the ORR stretch from Central Silk Board to KR Puram as a separate municipal zone. Corporates in Real Estate (CiRE) have also proposed managing the ORR stretch from Hebbal to Central Silk Board. ORRCA's report revealed that the tech corridor employs around 9.5 lakh people across 500 companies, with 36 percent of Bengaluru's annual IT revenue coming from the KR Puram to Silk Board section of the ORR.

However, the ORR faces several challenges, including traffic congestion costing $15 billion per year, as per ORRCA. A recent report submitted by the organisation to the Karnataka government also added the average peak hour speed of 4.4 kmph on the Outer Ring Road, with congestion queues extending over 3 km during peak hours. Additionally, areas like Bellandur, Marathahalli, and Sarjapur Road experience flooding during heavy rains, leading to revenue losses, as evidenced by a loss of Rs 225 crore due to heavy rains and flooding on ORR on August 30, 2022.