Thirsting for water

A promise of delivering water in three months has kept the citizens of Konanakunte waiting for nearly three years. Residents say, while the pipelines for delivering Cauvery water has been laid, “ego clash” between civic agencies has resulted in disastrous management of the issue.

“The ground water resource is very poor in this area. No borewell is functioning properly. Many of them have gone dry. The ground water level has depleted to more than 1000 ft. The only solution is supply of Cauvery water” says B S Srinivas, General Secretary for Konanakunte Kshemabhivruddi Sangagala Okkoota, a Federation of local resident welfare associations. The Okkoota has been trying to get the civic agencies to supply regular water to residents in the area. “For now we are managing to get tankers and water from the few available borewells. But it is quite a big problem that 20,000 people in the Konanakunte are facing,” said Nagendra Prasad, another resident.

The laying of pipelines for the Cauvery water was inaugurated in 2006 by the then Health Minister R Ashoka. Residents claim that he had assured water from the river within three months. It has been three years since the inauguration and not a single drop of water is flowing in the pipes.

“The irony is that the Kothnur Reservoir which supplies water to JP Nagar, Hosur Road and other places is a stone’s throw away. All our efforts in making the officials to supply water have gone in vain,” says Srinivas.

 Srinivas says that almost all residents have paid the amount more than two years back. “Every time we ask the officials, they promise to supply water within a month but no action is being taken. Even the local MLA is helpless in this regard,” he rued.
 A small link of about 100 ft was to be made (by laying a pipe line) to provide Cauvery water which also has been completed now. The residents state that the only remaining work in the area is to place the water meter and supply the water. But when will it happen is the question 20,000 people are asking?

Traffic woes

Satish B Srinivas, an IT professional spends nearly four hours travelling from Sanjaynagar to his workplace in Electronic City and back. While the first half of his journey is covered in half an hour, the route from Bommanhalli to his Office consumes not less than an hour and half. “The entire stretch from Bommanhalli to Electronic City has turned into a nightmare. Construction work and crossings at Central Jail and Bommanhalli has resulted in bottlenecks across the road,” said Satish.

He was not optimistic even after the construction of the nine kilometre highway being constructed and completed by November. “The mouth to the elevated highway seems to be very small at the Bommanhalli crossing. I think the elevated highway too would not serve the purpose and there will still be bottlenecks at the crossing,” he said. He was of the opinion that perhaps instead of the huge project, the authorities could have opted for two underpasses at Bommanhalli crossing and Central Jail crossing where most bottlenecks are found.

On the other hand optimists have a voice in Karthik N S who also finds congestion due to construction activity on the Elevated Highway as the stumbling block but only until its completion. “After the construction of the highway, I am hopeful that the congestion will ease,” said Karthik. The nine kilometre elevated tollway is expected to be completed by mid-November.