BBMP helplines overwhelmed as water crisis deepens

Bengaluru: Less than a day after the BBMP set up control rooms and appointed nodal officers to address the city's water crises, frantic residents flooded the helplines with calls urging authorities to solve the scarcity in their areas.

Officers in prominent areas, who DH spoke to, said some areas received about 30 calls, most of which concerned Cauvery water connections, drying borewells, and fewer water tankers and their high fees.

Nodal officers in Uttarahalli said even apartment residents are complaining about poor water supply. "They ask BWSSB for water tankers since private tankers are hard to find due to compulsory registration. We focus on supplying water to drought-hit areas and slums,” an officer said.

Meanwhile, the scene at Whitefield is no different. “We get at least 10 complaints a day, most of which come from slum areas,” said the officer, pointing out the scarcity even at RO water stations, some of which have shut down.

Officers in Bellandur and Thanisandra admitted to DH that they were judicious in supplying water between filling sumps in houses and to provide those who queued up with their pots.

"We are coordinating with BBMP officials to register private tankers and the RTO that seize these vehicles in the respective zones. This gives us an idea of how many water tankers we have to redistribute," said the officer in the Thanisandra control room.

Complaints regarding drying borewells are aplenty in Mahadevapura, Horamavu and Agara areas. "At least 50 to 60 borewells out of 297 in Mahadevapura have dried up. The water table has also depleted around the existing borewells causing panic among people," the officer added.