BENGALURU: The water scarcity in Bengaluru continues to take a toll on the daily lives of people, as many parts of the city are running dry. Residents of Ilyas Nagar and nearby areas in Bengaluru South, face another challenge as Rs 5 RO water ATMs run by the BBMP fail to yield water everyday. There are at least three water ATMs In a radius of about 2 km, and they fail to yield water all throughout the day.
Mohammed Saleem, a mechanic by profession and a resident of Ilyas Nagar said that his family of five require a can of water for daily drinking and cooking purposes. “For the past one week, three of the four water machines have faced a shortage of water. Residents are welcomed with a board indicating ‘no stock of water’ and that water will be available by 1.30 pm. However, those who come to fetch water end up seeing the board and do not get any water.”
An operator mentioned that due to summer heat, the water table has gone down and the borewells are not pumping enough water to the tank. Kiran K, who works in a private firm, said that they are paying Rs 5 for 25 litres of water but receiving only 70% of the water. “Additionally, some 24-hour water filling centres close before 9 pm. Some people come with five to six water cans, which causes a problem for others. Operators must mandate one or two cans per person, as people have to stand in the line for a long time,” he added.
The BBMP Chief Engineer (South zone), said that some borewells in the city are drying up due to the extreme heat this summer, resulting in no water in the ATMs. The BWSSB is trying to temporarily fill up the borewells, so that the public can get water. The dry borewells will start working again if it rains, he added
Speaking to TNIE Joint commissioner HR Shivakumar, said they are going to look into the issue and resolve the problem.