Tough dry season ahead for many Bangaloreans (File/EPS)
With water scarcity continuing to haunt people in the city, Bangalore
Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) has introduced several measures
to curb unauthorised water tapping. Though the BWSSB had constituted
‘special disconnection drive’ squads in January to check the illegal
connection of water and sanitary services, many residents from across
the city felt that unauthorised water supply was being provided to the
corporators, MLAs and the local leaders.
Speaking about the
illegal water connection, Tejaswini (name changed) from Yelachenahalli, a
newly added ward to BBMP said, “Though the nine squads consisting of
six to eight members are constituted, we know that unauthorised Cauvery
water is being supplied to the residence of corporators and local
leaders. They are neither questioned nor is the unauthorised connection
disconnected.”
In another instance, a resident of J P Nagar, 2nd
phase, said, “There are no limits for the usage of water in this
locality. Some of the residents here remove the metre when the Cauvery
water is supplied and the metre reading personnel fail to notice this. I
do not know if BWSSB will be successful in identifying such problems
and pass on the information to the squads.”
Speaking about curbing
the unauthorised water supply in the city, BWSSB spokesperson Sarala
Kumari told City Express, “Currently, squads have completed over three
rounds of inspections in different parts of the city. They have
disconnected over 4,062 unauthorised water connections and we have
issued notice to 507 residents and commercial complexes. We have
recovered Rs 1,169,157 from the unpaid water bills and the dues.”
The
BWSSB had also promised that the squad members will be provided with
police assistance in sensitive areas. When asked about the same, Sarala
said, “We have not provided any police assistance until now as the
squads have not come across any untoward incidents. If required, we will
take help from the police department.”
Hopefully the BBMP
corporators and officials of BWSSB will take actions before the
situation is too grave, considering the changing climatic conditions in
the city each year.
