No water here for 5 years-Bangalore-Cities-The Times of India

No water here for 5 years-Bangalore-Cities-The Times of India

BANGALORE: It’s been five years since 20 houses on II Cross, Coles Road, have had proper water supply. While supply of Cauvery water has been affe
cted by low pressure, borewells are non-existent. This means the 150 residents in these houses have had to rely on water from tankers, the BWSSB and private suppliers. A few end up paying Rs 300 a day for water, while others pool in for shared supply.

Attempts by the area MLA to solve the problem raised residents’ hopes. But they were dashed when supply was temporarily blocked on Spencer Road.

Throughout all this, residents have been paying the minimum water charges every month. But for how long, they ask. “We pay the minimum fare not for water but the air that runs the meter,’’ says
N A Afsal, a resident. Zaffar Sait, another resident and a builder living here since 1975, shares a similar experience.

Coming under the command area of High Grounds reservoir, this region is located at a higher level. Pipelines have been laid 10-12 ft above road level and this has resulted in low pressure. This means the lane gets little or no water, while others in the area are unaffected. These rusted pipelines were laid way back in 1981-82. Attempts at cleaning pipes and replacing valves have been of little help.

About 15 days ago, area MLA Prasanna Kumar found a way out — drawing water from the parallel Spencer Road through connecting lines. Work on laying the lines is complete, but water supply has still not begun.

Way out of the block?
A small meeting on Monday seems to have moved things ahead. Legal permission is being sought to overcome the block on Spencer Road. “We are working on it and should have the problem sorted out in a day or two,’’ area corporator A R Zakhir told TOI.
“Seeing the first flow of water through this 2-inch pipe in a couple of days — after five long years — is going to be a historic moment for us,’’ says Pradeep Kumar Reddy, ex-corporator of Fraser Town.

According to BWSSB engineers, work in this area has been taken up on high priority. The connection from Spencer Road will not affect supply to this region. It would only benefit 20-30 houses in the parallel lane, they said. With increasing demand and limited stock, they are also working on balancing supply. “Earlier, we supplied water for 5-6 hours in surrounding areas like Cox Town and Fraser Town but have now reduced it to 2-3 hours to ensure balanced supply,’’ he said.

Parts of Fraser Town also hit
Mouna Guru Mutt Road in Fraser Town is another area affected by poor water supply. While water is usually supplied on alternate days, 20-30 houses went without water for four days a week ago.

Supply resumed on Sunday, but the flow — from 9 am to 1.30 pm — was inadequate. “Every time we approach the local BWSSB engineers, we are given different answers,’’ says Parikshit, a resident. One of the main reasons: “There is no proper supply from TG Halli itself.’’

Residents faced a similar problem in May and the Karnataka Human Rights Commission had to intervene. The problem seems to have resurfaced in less than six months, complain residents.

According to a BWSSB official, a recent snag in lifting water from High Grounds reservoir caused this problem. With the sorted, residents are hoping the supply will soon improve.