The last couple of days have been a horrific experience for residents of Indiranagar as they claim to have been supplied contaminated water by the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB).
Residents say that they have been receiving smelly and unclean water for at least 3 to 4 days. Speaking to The Hindu, Sneha Nandihal said, “We have been receiving contaminated water for the last 3 to 4 days. Most residents have disconnected their water supply, cleaned their water tanks, and are getting water supplied through tankers to their homes everyday.”
Ms. Nandihal claimed that there has been a consistent problem in the surrounding areas and some residents have even been hospitalised. “The same issue had happened in the neighbouring areas such as Michael Palya and Krishna Temple Road. Residents of Krishna Temple Road found water mixed with sewage in their sumps. The contamination in Michael Palya has been there for the last 3 months, many residents have been hospitalised due to this,” she said.
Shekhar Ravi, a resident of Michael Palya, said that clean water is supplied in the morning, however, it is contaminated by evening. “We have been receiving contaminated water for the last 3 months. In the mornings, the water is clean and usable, however, by evening the water is contaminated and has a stench. The water is completely unusable, we call for water tankers every day and split the charges with our neighbours,” he said.
Lohith, another resident of Michael Palya, said some of his neighbours cannot afford to buy water from the suppliers and he shares it with them. “It has been three months; many residents have been hospitalised but no action has been taken by the BWSSB. There are many underprivileged and socially backward people in our neighbourhood. Since they cannot afford to call for water tankers, we share the water with the residents. The BWSSB has given us no solution on this so far,” he said.
“The BWSSB had started a project to get the water lines checked a couple of months ago after residents of the surrounding areas complained of contaminated water, however, they are yet to fix the line at Indiranagar. This is not a new issue, and has been persistent in the entire 80 feet road,” said Swarna Venkataraman, a resident of Indiranagar.
N. Jayaram, Chairman, BWSSB, claimed that the mishap had happened due to a project undertaken by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP). “We are aware of the issue and engineers are in the field. The issue will be solved in a few days. The BBMP is working on reassembling a storm-water drain, some of the stones being installed have damaged the water supply pipes and have led to the contamination,” he said.
Mr. Jayaram said the BWSSB had been supplying clean water through water tanks to the residents of Indiranagar ever since they received the complaints. He added that each house was being supplied with at least 1,000 to 2,000 litres of water through tankers.
