With elections nearing, water takes centre stage in KR Puram

Promising potable water is like promising moon. But three prominent political party candidates in KR Puram are promising clean water to voters!

Sitting BJP MLA Nandish Reddy, during his poll campaign has been reminding voters about his efforts to ensure water supply to about 60 per cent of the population in the constituency.

He further promised that his entire constituency will get water from Cauvery river, if elected. The fact remains that though he ensured water supply from Cauvery 4th Stage, the same has not been sufficient to 39 BBMP wards here. The general prediction, ‘future wars will be for water’, appears to be true when one goes around this constituency. It has been deprived of clean, potable water from the past two decades.  The crisis is only deepening despite supply of Cauvery water to parts of KR Puram. Residents, by and large, are happy that they have access to Cauvery water, but are not ready to make payments to BWSSB.

Free water

They have been used to free water supply through tankers, courtesy local politicians. So, tankers are seen plying all over the constituency.

Candidates are making all out effort to make water a poll issue.  KR Puram constituency, carved out of earlier Varthur and Hoskote constituencies, has been facing severe water crisis over the years. A haven of labour class thirty years ago, it has now transformed into a major real estate hub with property price skyrocketing.
With the ever increasing population, the region was crying for attention for infrastructure facilities. Excessive drilling of borewells to quench the thirst of growing population and clearing of open space for high-rise buildings resulted in ground water depletion and contamination. It was an easy victory for Nandish Reddy in 2008 as the BJP was riding on ‘betrayal’ wave. He could pack off Congress candidate A Krishnappa. People do appreciate the MLA for improving availability of water, condition of roads, the much required underground drainage system and desilting of certian lakes.

Congress nominee Byrathi A Basavaraj is also a familiar face because of his ‘water service’.  He has been supplying water through tankers to almost all the wards, the fact that has brought him closer to people. There are not many Congress workers missing A Krishnappa, who was denied ticket. Basavaraj, who is yet to begin campaigning, is making the sitting MLA sweat more.

J Ravi Prakash, JD(S) candidate, too claims credit for supplying water to the parched constituency. He too is into tanker water supply.  He said the Cauvery water supply to KR Puram is a contribution of his party boss H D Kumaraswamy during his tenure as chief minister.