Summer has just set in. But the demand for water has already hit the sky in most of the fringe areas of the City. However, the civic agencies are yet to take any concrete measures to tackle the acute shortage of water.
The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has earmarked Rs 25 lakh per ward to sink new borewells and fit motors. But most of the Corporators and Palike officials are clueless about it.
Now, there is no guarantee that new borewells will yield water. Begur Corporator M Srinivas says he has no idea when the Palike administration will invite tenders to sink new borewells.
“My ward comes under the 110 villages newly added to the BBMP, and it will take a long time for us to receive Cauvery water. We should have been given priority in sinking borewells to ensure that the people get sufficient water during summer. However, we are provided with only one water tanker for a population of one lakh,” he added.
According to Deputy Mayor S Harish, the funds earmarked to sink borewells has already been sanctioned and many corporators have utilised the amount.
“I do not know whether all the corporators have started to utilise the funds, but at many places like Gandhinagar, Vijayanagar and Jayanagar, the joint commissioners of the area have sanctioned money to sink borewells,” he added.
Yet to get a nod
Mohan Kumar, chairman of ward works committee, BBMP, said the programme of sinking borewells is yet to get approval along with the other POW (programme of works), and till date only 50 per cent of the programme has been approved.
“In emergency cases, Corporators can take up the work and submit the bills to get the money released to their ward. But sinking of borewells has not taken place in any of the wards. Palike is contemplating on whether to hand over the work to KRIDL or BWSSB,” he added.
In some areas, BBMP has sunk borewells but not completed the work. Anjanappa, a resident of Ramamurthynagar in KR Puram, says that there are three borewells, but Palike contractors have left the job half done forcing residents in the area to buy water from tankers.
As per the procedure, BBMP sinks borewells and hands over the responsibility of maintenance to BWSSB. But it was found that many BBMP-maintained borewells were not functioning as the area engineers show little interest in repairing the dysfunctional borewell motors. Till the civic agencies wake up to the water crisis, it is going to be a long summer ahead for the City denizens.