BENGALURU: After The New Indian Express published a report on October 6 about residents of St Michael School Road in Shanthinagar assembly constituency getting smelly, black water in their taps, Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) sprang into action and fixed the issue.
The report also drew the attention of the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), and BWSSB has now confirmed that coliform, or E.coli, is absent. The CMO had monitored and directed the Urban Development department to address the issue on a war footing.
The Board, in its communication to the CMO, had stated that there are house service connections of GI pipes which pass through the rainwater drain, and during rains, the old water supply pipeline gets polluted due to wastewater entering it. “Work on the new water supply pipeline has been completed, and clean drinking water supplied through the new pipeline. Water from the pipeline has been tested in the Board’s laboratory, and a report submitted stating it is fit for drinking,” it said.
Residents of Shanthinagar Welfare Association stated that in May 2026, BWSSB installed a new pipeline for water connection; however, once they started receiving water from August, residents of St Michael School Road complained about dirty water flowing into their sumps from the new line, and suspected a leak. They also complained that the Board could not identify the source of the leakage and contamination. Residents said they had contracted skin infections.
“After the news report, engineers and labourers started to cut open the road and check for the contamination. They used cameras to detect the issue. Now, PVC pipes have been installed from the main water line to house connections. We have not noticed any contamination since then,” said a senior citizen living on the street.
