Water supply disrupted in most areas of Belagavi city

Technical glitch coupled with a snap strike by workers cited as reasons

A view of the Hidkal Dam, which is the main source of water supply for Belagavi.

Drinking water supply has been disrupted in most areas in Belagavi city, due to labour strike and some technical glitches.

Belagavi’s 10 of the 58 wards have 24 x 7 water supply. The rest get water twice a week. But water supply has been disrupted since Saturday last.

Some densely populated areas such as Tilakwadi, Wadagaon and Shahapur have suffered erratic water supply for over a week now. Some areas, including Mandoli Road, Mazagaon, Ramteerth Nagar, Raghunath Pet and Fourth Gate, have not had water supply for nine days.

Areas such as Chidambar Nagar, Jadhav Nagar and Samgameshwar Nagar have gone without water supply for the last seven or eight days. Residential areas on the outskirts — Yellur Road, Hindalga Shahu Nagar, Anand Nagar, Mahantesh Nagar, Shivateerth Colony, Saraf Galli and Shiva Basava Nagar — have not seen water supply for the last three or four days.

City Corporation officers say that the problems began with a snag in the outer valve of the pumping station at Hidkal Dam, the main source of water supply to the city.

The glitch was resolved in two or three days, but we were hit by a snap strike by daily wage employees and some other workers who supported them, saying that they have not been paid salaries for two months.

Karnataka Urban Water Supply and Drainage Board, which maintains the water supply system, says it is helpless. A senior officer said that such problems are bound to occur as the water supply system in the city is under transition.

“As the State government has drawn up plans for providing round-the-clock water supply to the city, the system is now being shifted to the Karnataka Urban Water Supply Modernisation Project (KUWSMP) under the Karnataka Urban Infrastructure Development and Finance Corporation (KUIDFC). We have little control over the staff or equipment,” an engineer said.

Deputy Commissioner M.G. Hiremath said that he had asked senior officers to hold a meeting with the striking workers and resolve the issue.

“If there are technical issues at Hidkal, we will ensure coordination between KUIDFC and the Irrigation Department,” he said.