BENGALURU: With the state elections looming large, the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) is being flooded with demands to supply more water to different areas by politicians of various levels. Right from the local ward leader to the MLA of a constituency, everyone wants to impress their voters with more water at their doorstep.
A reliable source told The New Indian Express that demands have begun pouring in from MLAs or those who expect to be named as candidates by their party to supply more water in different areas. “We can supply only a maximum of 1,450 million litres per day of Cauvery water for Bengaluru as that is the maximum amount that is pumped. In case of genuine requirement and need, we can consider sending tankers with water free of cost to specific areas,” the source said.
The demand is not only for additional water but also to increase the number of hours we supply water on alternate days. “Some of them want us to increase it to three hours in specific areas. We are not in a position to entertain them since our incoming water supply remains a constant,” the source added.
It is a common practice among parties to pay for private water tankers and claim credit for the gesture by pasting party symbols and names of candidates in the run-up to elections.
Meanwhile, the Water Supply Board had to go in for three rounds of tendering to ensure the 17 Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) it wants to upgrade and the three new ones it will be building get bidders.
“We are yet to finalise the third round of tenders but we have got bids for the ones which did not generate any response in the earlier rounds,” said Engineer-in-Chief, BWSSB, S Suresh. “In the first round of tender, four STPs got a response while 11 of them got some response in the second round. Those that
did not have takers in the two rounds have received bids in the third round. It is yet to be finalised.”
However, he said he would be able to give the total cost involved for all the STPs only next week.