BENGALURU: The recent assurance by the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar regarding the supply of Cauvery water to 110 villages merged into Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has failed to meet the expectations of residents in several areas. While BWSSB promised that water would be supplied after the inauguration of Cauvery Stage-V on October 16, many of the 31 villages in KR Puram and Mahadevapura constituencies are still awaiting for the supply.
According to BWSSB officials, the delay is due to challenges in the pipeline work, particularly hard rock below the ground. Mahesh KN, Chief Engineer, Cauvery Stage-V, BWSSB, explained that underground rock was found at multiple places in the 180-metre stretch between Kudlu and Hoodi, which falls under the crucial Eastern Trunk of BWSSB’s Cauvery Stage-V.
“A 40-metre stretch of hard rock is proving especially challenging to cut through, and although work has been ongoing for two months, only about 6 metres remain. The project is expected to be completed by the end of November or early December, after which the pipeline will be fixed and the Ground Level Reservoir (GLR) at Hoodi will be filled, supplying water to 31 villages,” he added.
In addition to the pipelin issues, BWSSB is also working on a new 40 MLD GLR at Kadugodi. However, many residents remain skeptical. They said they do not believe in the water board’s assurance as it has failed its promises for delivery of service, particulary in areas like Ramamurthy Nagar, Horamavu, and surroundings areas. These neighbourhoods, despite having connections five years ago, residents still find their taps dry.
“For the last two years, the BWSSB, the local MLA and minister concerned have given many dates and months for Cauvery water connections to 110 villages but nothing happened so far,” said Kochu Shankar, a resident of Ramamurthy Nagar.
Echoing similar sentiments, another resident from Gunjur village in Mahadevapura said, the Cauvery Stage-V was inaugurated on October 16 but the water supply to several areas including Hagadur, Channdasandra, Panathur and Gunjur and surrounding villages in Mahadevapura will have to wait for at least till January 2025 due to the slow pace of work.