JOIN USK R Puram is one of the areas worst-affected by water shortage with its groundwater level depleting at an alarming rate. The scenario is so bad that one has to drill up to 1,200 ft to get water. And respite, in the form of a Cauvery water connection is expected only in March 2012.
Gopal Krishna, a resident of Vijinapura in K R Puram, complains that water pumping motors in the area break down often and none of the authorities concerned, be it the valvemen or the BWSSB, take steps to repair it. “The valvemen, local politicians and BWSSB officers are hand-in-glove and are responsible for mismanagement of water supply in the area,” he alleges.
Despite the minister’s recent visit to the constituency and his instructions to the engineers to repair the motors, nothing has been done yet, he added.
A borewell which was attached to the public water tank in Ambedkar Nagar near Ramamurthy Nagar supplied water to as many as 2,000 families. However, it has been six months since the motor broke down. Now, the residents of Ambedkar Nagar, who largely belong to lower income groups, are forced to shell out loads of money for their daily requirement of water.
“Water shortage is severe in this area. Last week, we received water with worms in it,” rued Deepa, a resident of Ambedkar Nagar.
However, Murali, an assistant engineer with BWSSB, maintained that there were only 10 dysfunctional borewells in the constituency and added that the BWSSB could not replace the pumping motor unless a survey was undertaken to ascertain the yield of water from the borewell.
If the dysfunctional motors are repaired on time, the water problems in this area can be solved to a certain extent if not completely, but the authorities’ indifference is only adding to the existing problems.