Bangalore: The Committee on Public Accounts of the Karnataka Legislature has highlighted the pilferage of water on account of unauthorised distribution in Bangalore during the past five years and estimated that the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board lost Rs. 637.33 crore in revenue because of it.

The committee, headed by Basavaraj Rayaraddi (Congress MLA), in its fourth report tabled in the Assembly a few days ago, said the pilferage occurred during the period 2001-02 to 2005-06. The quantity of water so distributed was to the extent of 35 to 46 per cent of the water supplied from the Cauvery. The committee has recommended that measures be taken to identify the reasons for pilferage, formulation of a scheme to control it and fixing a time-frame for its implementation.

The committee has recommended the collection of information on the quantity of water supplied to Bangalore and distributed to consumers from a particular reservoir in each area. Meter readers and junior engineers should have collected information on water supplied in each ward. Disciplinary action should be taken against senior officers who failed to check such information, it said.

`Claim unbelievable'

Hotels, community halls and other commercial organisations have been claiming that they get water from borewells. But, the report said it could not be believed that they got so much water through tankers and other sources. BWSSB officials had not checked the difference in the figures pertaining to water utilised by such bulk consumers, which was causing huge losses to the Board. The report has recommended investigation of illegal and unauthorised distribution and utilisation of water and fixing responsibility on officers for not recovering the charges.

The committee has also recommended that the Board take up an audit of the quality of water supplied from private borewells and through tankers and introduce a certification procedure. The Board is responsible for supplying clean water to the people. It should also tax water supplied in tankers by private agencies and detect unauthorised and illegal connections.

The committee said the Board had purchased defective meters between April 1998 April and August 1999 violating the rules prescribed by the Bureau of Indian Standards. It has recommended disciplinary action against the Chairman of the Board and those on its technical committee for the illegal purchases and the resulting losses.

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