In what smacks of lack of coordination between the implementing agency and the civic agency resulting in wasteful expenditure, it has come to light that as many as 11 reverse osmosis (RO) plants in Bengaluru meant for supplying potable water to underprivileged communities have been demolished for road widening works. Most of these had been installed at a cost between ₹10 lakh and ₹20 lakh.
The demolished plants are among 50 in Bengaluru that have become dysfunctional for various reasons, another indication of lack of focus on maintenance of installed units.
At 33 places where ROs were installed, the borewells have dried up, rendering the plants useless while in six places, the RO plants are not working due to lack of upkeep. In 15 more places, only buildings have come up without RO machinery being installed. As many as three plants have been shown but the units are non-existent. All included, RO plants that have not helped the public constitute about 27% of the total 255 RO plants shown in the books.
Where the units were
According to details provided by the Panchayat Raj Engineering division to the Joint House Committee — which is probing the illegalities in the installation of RO plants — the demolished RO plants in Bengaluru were in Vajarahalli, Thalghattapura, Kaveripura, Maruthinagar, Pantharpalya, Austin Town and Kalyananagar across Yeshwanthpura, Govindaraj Nagara and Shanthi Nagar Assembly constituencies.
Interestingly, according to the data, the highest number of RO demolition is in Govindarajanagar constituency, reporting six out of 11 ROs demolished in the city. They have all been reported from Panchasheela Nagar, coming under ward number 103 Kaveripura, in Govindarajanagar Assembly constituency.
The constituency is represented by Housing Minister V. Somanna. The RO plants — one each in Vajarahalli and Thalghattapura — that were demolished come under the Yeshwanthpura constituency represented by Cooperation Minister S.T. Somashekar.
No RR Numbers
Government sources aware of the development said even though RR number in the power bill for the plants has been to establish that all plants are functional, RR numbers have been provided only for 110 units, raising suspicion. “In many cases frivolous reasons have been provided, including that of a power connection sans power bill.”
