Angry women from the over 800 families residing in the City Armed Reserve (Headquarters) quarters near Sirsi Circle on Mysore Road staged a demonstration here on Monday in protest against lack of water supply and the abysmal state of their dwellings and their environs.
The families have had their supply cut by the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) as the bills have remained unpaid. Matters came to a head when 10 days ago, the borewells, their backup supply, began malfunctioning.
Fed up, the women, through their protest, highlighted other civic problems, including clogged sewage lines and absence of periodic maintenance of the quarters, they have been facing.
“For the past 10 days we are bringing water in bicycles from the borewell located in Chamarajapet, which is about a kilometre away. The authorities did send a water tanker a couple of times, but water was not distributed properly,” said Nagaratna, an elderly woman. “We are insulted when we go to borewell for water,” she added.
The women complained of persistent sewage problems. “When we complain, a private party is sent to attend to the problem and we have to foot the bill,” S. Kumar, another resident.
Bidari's reaction
Reacting to the problems of the residents, Police Commissioner Shankar M. Bidari said action is being taken to clear the water bill arrears, which is about Rs. 15 lakh. “We will then install water meters in each flat,” he said.
