The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Illegal connections lead to severe water scarcity

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Sep 19, 2006
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Illegal connections lead to severe water scarcity

Afshan Yasmeen

BMP, BWSSB to blame for the situation

BANGALORE: There has been a sharp increase in the number of unauthorised water connections in the 27 new Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) wards resulting in severe water scarcity.

These unauthorised connections have not only resulted in a revenue loss to the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) but have also been the main reason for drinking water shortage in most of the 27 new wards.

The BMP and the BWSSB are to blame for this situation. Two years ago when the

Rs. 150-crore BMP-funded project to draw drinking water and underground drainage lines was launched, the authorities had given a deadline to consumers to take connections before the roads were asphalted if they wanted to avoid paying road-cutting charges. But water meters were not made available to consumers then. Now people are in no mood to get the meters fixed.

Top BWSSB officials, who are aware of the situation, are now in a dilemma over taking action against the defaulters.

"There is a law that enables BWSSB to fine people with unauthorised water connections up to Rs. 10,000. We can even send people to jail for a month for illegally allowing sewage into the board's sewers. But we do not want to go strong on it, as water is a basic amenity. We are holding water-meter melas and also convincing people to get meters installed," BWSSB Chief Engineer (Maintenance) T. Venkataraju told The Hindu on Monday.

Pointing out that there were 15,000 to 20,000 unauthorised connections in the new areas, excluding slums, Mr. Venkataraju said that on an average 500 meters were being installed every month. "These connections are pertaining to sites of 30 by 40 dimension or even less. Apartments and group houses have borewells and do not need meters as we levy borewell charges on them," he said.

As these connections also cause a difference in water pressure levels if they are located downstream, supply to houses that are situated on an elevation is affected.

"This is what is happening in Devarajeevanahalli, Kadugondanahalli, Lingarajpuram, Ramaswamypalya, Marutisevanagar and surrounding areas. We are trying to convince people to get meters installed. People can pay Rs. 850 in cash or through demand draft in favour of BWSSB along with an affidavit stating that the lines were laid before their road was asphalted and a property authentication document for getting a meter. For slum dwellers we have fixed the charges at Rs. 550," Mr. Venkataraju added.

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