The Vani Vilas Water Works (VVWW), an arm of KUWSDB, which handles drinking water distribution across Mysuru city on behalf of the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC), recently came across four pipelines illegally laid for water supply on Irwin Road, which is undergoing widening.
Disclosing this during a virtual interaction with the members of Mysuru Grahakara Parishat here recently, Mohammad Fauzulla Mustaffa, Assistant Executive Engineer, VVWW, who spoke on ‘Recent trends in water supply management in Mysuru’, said the issue had been taken seriously and being investigated since the pipelines do not exist in VVWW’s distribution network. “We are on the watch for illegal water connections and ensure tamper-proof meters are installed in each household,” he added.
Developmental works
The AEE explained works taken up at pumping stations, like Melapura, Hongalli, Belagola besides Kabini at Bidara Gudu pump house where a lot of development works are being carried out under the Amruth scheme. These include improvement of pump houses to higher capacities and setting up of water treatment plants. The works delayed due to the pandemic are expected to be completed by next year, facilitating supply across Mysuru for at least two hours daily, he said.
MGP members sought the setting up of a vigilance squad for independently checking existence of any illegal connections and bringing light to all such cases for penalty.
Under the distribution enhancement scheme in 2011, during the JNNURM project, the incomplete works are being taken up for early completion, he said.
Water bills
To a question from Aswathanarayana, Working President, MGP, and one of the participants, on how water bills are recovered from households on the outskirts, the AEE said water is supplied in bulk in GPs, unlike to households in Mysuru and the GPs are charged very less. Yet, the GPs owe nearly ₹35 crore dues to the MCC.
Another member Raghavendra suggested that VVWW should consider giving a discount in water bills or property tax for the consumers paying promptly. K.V. Ramanath, another member, complained that monthly bills were not being received for the past two months and he was paying the bills based on the message he received on his phone.
B.S. Shankara claimed that apartments and commercial complexes, who have not taken water connection and source their water from borewells, are not being charged for using the UGD network, resulting in loss of income (a nominal amount of ₹150 is being charged), to the corporation.
