Residents ransacked BWSSB office for not providing drinking water
Residents of Arekere (Ward 193) ransacked BWSSB office at Kodichikkanahalli for not providing drinking water to homes.They complained about severe water shortage in the area. Despite complaints from residents, BWSSB officials turned a deaf ear to our problems.The angry residents reached the BWSSB office around 9 am on wednesday and started a verbal fight with the officials.
Residents of Arekere including corporator AS Purushottam ransacked BWSSB office. Justifying the act, corporator Purushottam said, “Although there are about 60,000 residents in the ward, the water supplied is insufficient to meet the needs of even 20,000. For the past 10 days, taps have gone dry. Being poor, most residents cannot buy tanker water from private operators. They are dependent on BWSSB. Of the 60 wells in the ward, only a few are functional. This has added to their woes.”
Purushottam said he had written several letters to BWSSB officials and was made to run from pillar to post to ensure that residents have no water problem during this summer. But due to the negligence of officials, water crisis is still looming.
BWSSB engineer Sridhar visited problems areas and assured residents that water would be restored within a week. “If they don’t take action as promised, we would resort to protests again,” the corporator said. BWSSB, on its part, says it is unable to meet the city’s requirement. The board claims it has not assured supply to the newly-added CMCs and TMC until the completion of Cauvery IV stage II Phase.
Only about 15% of Arakere is getting Cauvery water.Also a few parts of Arakere, Bilekahalli, Hongasandra and Bommanahalli get Cauvery water. Residents in other pockets of Hulimavu and Jnanappanahalli are also demanding Cauvery water. “We have been supplying drinking water using own tankers to four wards. There are five tankers that take six to ten trips every day. But now that summer is on, the demand is increasing. Borewells are drying up and residents are finding it difficult to get by. We will look into the demand,” said G Shashidhar, executive engineer, Bangalore South.
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