‘Set things right at Victoria

‘Set things right at Victoria

After the shocking revelation before the Lok Adalat that both Victoria and Bowring Hospitals were paying Rrs.75 lakh as their monthly water bills to Bangalore Water Supply and Sewage Board (BWSSB), the urban development department has directed BWSSB to “straighten” the things immediately.

In a letter dated January 27, the principal secretary to the department Jyothiramalingam, directed BWSSB chairman P B Ramamurthy to replace the rusted water pipes and the internal lines in both the hospitals, to prevent water pilferage, within a fortnight.

the principal secretary has suggested to Ramamurthy that the engineers of BWSSB and the medical superintendents of both hospitals should visit the hospitals and take necessary steps to check the pilferage and prevent unauthorised drawing of water from the water pipes of the hospitals.

“BWSSB and the hospital authorities must conduct a joint survey and remove the old rusted water pipes. By doing this, BWSSB can ensure that water is used only for the purposes of the hospital,” the principal secretary stated.

The superintendent of Victoria Hospital had submitted before the Lok Adalat that water is being drawn illegally by the residents and also the commercial establishments in the vicinity of the hospital. hospital authorities had pleaded before the Lok Adalat that BWSSB should be asked to replace the water pipes.

But sources in BWSSB said that it was not an easy task to change the water pipelines within a short time, because it required laying separate water delivery pipes in the Victoria Hospital premises.

On January 20, the High Court Lok Adalat had directed BWSSB to charge domestic rates for water to the government hospitals. The matter will again come up for hearing on February 19, 2009.