BENGALURU: After two decades of wait, residents of Mallappa Layout in Babusabpalya finally began receiving Cauvery water in March 2025, but their relief was short-lived. Since the supply began, 43 pipeline leaks have been reported, many of them surfacing on newly laid roads.
The Mallappa Layout Residents Welfare Association (RWA) claims the damage dates back to February 2022, when telecom companies installed optical fibre cables using winching machines just before road work began, damaging the water pipelines. Despite repeated appeals for water and road infrastructure, residents say their long-awaited access to Cauvery water has been plagued by recurring issues, ranging from low pressure to sewage water mixing with the supply.
According to residents, while BWSSB responds to complaints and repairs the leaks, the repaired spots are not properly covered with wet mix, causing repeated damage. “BWSSB is not opening the valves in full force due to the pipeline damage at various spots. If they do, pipes could burst at weak points,” RWA secretary Shrikanth told TNIE.
The RWA also alleges that BWSSB lacks maps of the pipeline network laid between 2018 and 2021, making it difficult to locate and fix all leaks.
Water is currently supplied for just two hours twice a week, but residents say the pressure is extremely low. Of the 222 houses across eight streets in the layout, many do not receive water at all. Residents also say they are being billed for water without proper meter readings.
“We end up paying not just for the water, but also for the air that flows through the pipes before the water arrives,” said Biju, a resident. “Last Tuesday, we got 30-45 minutes of air, followed by low-pressure water that filled only a quarter of the sump,” he added.
Residents acknowledge that BWSSB responds to complaints, but they continue to demand a long-term solution to recurring leakages and alleged sewage contamination in some streets.
“In the past, BESCOM and various OFC companies have dug up roads to lay their cables, and in the process, they have damaged the BWSSB pipelines that were already laid. When we began supplying Cauvery water in October 2024, the damage became visible. We are identifying and repairing leaks as and when they are detected,” BWSSB (East) Executive Engineer Channabasavaiah told TNIE.