Cauvery Stage V nears finish line, but only 15% apply for connection

Bengaluru: The BWSSB is testing the pipeline it has installed in the 110 villages for the Cauvery Stage V water supply scheme, but only 15 per cent of residents have actually applied for the water connection.

Sources in the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) said barely 48,000 out of 3.5 lakh households have applied for water connections, with the board requiring one lakh connections to ensure the project is viable.

“We have spent Rs 5,500 crore to provide the infrastructure by securing a loan,” a senior BWSSB official said, explaining the enormity of the scheme.

Asked about the poor response, another official attributed it to concerns over the project’s completion. “Since the project’s deadline had multiple extensions, households do not want to pay and wait. We hope residents will come forward now that the project is nearing completion,” the official said.

The official also believed that the sudden charges for drinking water may not have gone down well with the residents, who were accustomed to using borewell water and had never paid for it until now. “Since dry borewells caused a water crisis this summer, we hope people would come forward to take the Cauvery connection,” he added.

The BWSSB also imposes an additional Beneficiary Contribution Charge (BCC) on applicants, which starts at Rs 5,000 for a 600-sq ft residence that multiplies with additional floors and the property’s square feet area. This is a specific deterrent for apartments.

Door-to-door offer

With the project expected to be completed by mid-June, the BWSSB chairman has urged officials to reach out to residents with the connection offer. He also asked them to find out illegal connections and regularise them by levying charges as per procedure.