Chamarajanagar faces drinking water hiccups

Scarcity of drinking water continues to dog residents of the city, forcing them to collect water and store for at least one week.

In several layouts, water isn’t supplied for more than a week. With the City Municipal Council (CMC) failing to tackle the issue, residents continue to suffer.

Supply of drinking water to the district headquarters from T Narsipur started in 2000-01. Even though eight to nine lakh litres of water can be supplied from T Narsipur, rampant power cuts and usage of old motors has led to decline in quantity of supply.

While the city should receive around 4.5 lakh litres, four lakh litres is supplied to 10 villages in the district. The main pipeline supplies water from the treatment plant at Mangala to Jalahallihundi, Kadalli, Doddarayapet, Masagapura, Madapura, Bogapura, Handrakallimole, Kiragasuru and Handrahalli.

The CMC pays Rs 2.75 lakh each year as electricity charges for pump houses and an additional Rs 75 lakh for maintenance. However, no cess is being collected from the 10 villages, which are benefitting from the project.

Each village has to pay Rs 8.40 lakh as cess and Rs 1.80 crore can be collected from all villages each year. But, with the CMC and elected representatives failing to collect any cess, villages get water without paying cess.

Meanwhile, the 700 HP pumpset installed 12 years back at T Narsipur to lift water has worn out and is not able to operate to its maximum. With the coffers drying up, the cost of installing a new pumpset costing around Rs one crore has taken a back seat.

Also, if a separate electricity line is drawn for pumping water, the problem can be reduced considerably, official sources said. The district administration submitted a proposal two years back for a separate electricity line at an estimated cost of Rs 45.50 lakh, but it is yet to be approved.