Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, who also holds charge of the city, and MLAs of outer zones, have been keen that Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) provides piped drinking water to 110 villages newly added to the city in 2007, ahead of Assembly elections. However, with over 30% of the works of Cauvery Fifth Stage, which will bring 775 Million Litres per Day (MLD) water from Cauvery to the city, still pending, that will not be the case. Presently, BWSSB is working on a mid-May deadline to complete the works, when Assembly polls would have just concluded.
These villages are spread out in Mahadevapura, Byatarayanapura, Dasarahalli, RR Nagar and Bommanahalli constituencies, where drinking water woes continue to be one of the issues mobilising residents.
“It would have helped us in our campaign if water had reached households before elections. As they mostly rely on tanker water another summer, expected to be scorching this year, telling them they will soon get water is not as effective as getting water. Drinking water is a major issue in the 110 villages and people have been waiting for far too long for the same,” said an MLA, who did not wish to be named.
N. Jayaram, Chairman, BWSSB, said though the Board had earlier aimed to start providing drinking water to 110 villages by March, works on the main mega line to bring raw water to the city from Cauvery river was still pending. “Nearly 70% of the work is now complete. We need another two months’ time to finish the remaining work,” he said, adding keeping a buffer of two weeks, works will mostly be completed by mid-May.
“There were encroachments and development along the proposed alignment on Kanakapura Road, forcing us to change the alignment. The pandemic also hit us hard. Apart from the lockdowns and migrant labour crisis, we were also hit by a shortage of industrial oxygen during the second wave of the pandemic, delaying works,” Mr. Jayaram said.
Political class not likely to reap its benefits
As per the agreement between BWSSB and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), which has given a loan for the project, the deadline for completion of works is August 2023. However, with an aim to complete the project just ahead of Assembly polls, the project was put on a fast-track in May 2021. Though BWSSB now says works would be completed by mid-May, ahead of the original deadline, it will not likely help the political class to reap its benefits in the upcoming polls.
Mr. Jayaram said while work on the mega line to draw water is still underway, works on the lateral lines for distribution of water and pumping stations had almost been completed. “In 55 villages, where the distribution network has been completely laid, we are providing drinking water twice a week to those houses who have taken our connection for some time now. While we are yet to get 775 MLD water from Cauvery Fifth Stage, we have allotted some water in the available schemes to these villages,” he said.
While BWSSB estimates that Cauvery Fifth Stage will serve over 2.5 lakh households, only nearly 35,000 households have availed a connection from the Board, sources said.
