Posh apartment on Jayamahal Main Road caught in water theft
The BWSSB which has booked 92 cases of water theft under its amended Water Act has the biggest fish in its net. The residents of a 13-flat apartment complex on Jayamahal main road caught siphoning off lakhs of litres of water. The apartment has 13 families that used to consume six lakh litres per month, scaled down their usage to two lakh litres. It surprised the Bangalore Water Supply & Sewerage Board (BWSSB). The surprise turned into suspicion.
On Tuesday, the BWSSB officials visited the Palace View Apartment, dug up the spot near the meter and found another water line next to it, which illegally drew water from the distribution pipe. The apartment has 13 families that used to consume six lakh litres per month. In July 2007, the residents complained of a fault in the water meter and the BWSSB rectified it. Subsequently, there was a drop in the consumption. In August, it was 3.6 lakh litres, September 2.4 lakh litres and in the following months, the usage was hovering around two lakh litres.
Association president H Naronha told the officials the usage had come down as some flats were vacant.However, when the officials dug up the area around the meter, the theft came to light. According to BWSSB officials, the residents used about two lakh litres from the legal BWSSB line and then shut off the main valve. Rest of the ‘free’ water came from the illegal line.
BWSSB are coming down heavily on consumers having illegal sewerage connections. Now, water bills of all high-rises will be monitored and BWSSB chairman have instructed the engineers to identify such connections and book cases.
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