Lakeside residents buy water as summer advances

Lakeside residents buy water as summer advances

Bosky Khanna. Bangalore



The plight of residents living near Ulsoor Lake has turned for the worse with the onset of summer.
Like elsewhere in city, here too, the residents get water supply only once in two days forcing them to depend on water tankers.
"Water comes once in two days. And whenever there is supply, it does not come in full force. The problem is acute especially for residents settled in elevated areas," says Meenakshi Sundaram, president of Bangalore Tamil Sangam and resident of Guttapalya in Ulsoor.
While some areas such as Ulsoor market and Ulsoor main road get water every day, places such as Murphy Town and Guttapalya get the supply only once in two days. But Ulsoor residents are lucky in one respect: the water they get is not contaminated. They face a problem of quantity, not quality, says Sundaram.
But dependence on water tankers is not a welcome option as residents have to pay through their nose.
"Since it's summer, water tanker operators charge more. Earlier, the rates were about Rs150 to Rs200. But now we are forced to cough up Rs350 for a tanker. The demand for water has gone up and we don't have any choice," says Jayanthi K, a long-time resident of Ulsoor.
According to Carlton Braganza, owner and proprietor of Opus, there is shortage of water in his area and many are forced to buy water from tanker operators. This is the case especially with people living in high rise apartment complexes. But for others living in independent residential establishments, the tussle gets tougher.
Residents say they have complained to the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) about their plight. But civic officials don't seem to listen to their appeals.
Water shortage is not the only problem they face. The stench emanating from the drains located near the lake is unbearable. Nothing has been done by Palike to clean up the drains. Joggers and passers-by cover their nose while passing the area. It's a shame.
"Nobody seems to be caring about this. The civic agencies have done nothing to cover and clean up the drain and stop the inlet of sewerage into the lake. This place has become a breeding centre for mosquitoes. It is especially dangerous for children who get affected with health problems,'' says Nilima M, a worried mother.
Palike says the stench will go when the drainage work is completed. People need to be more patient, says one official requesting anonymity. Once the infrastructure is improved, the drainage problem will be solved.
According to a BWSSB official, water shortage is a problem that most parts of the city city faces every summer. But Palike is trying to do whatever it can to augment the supply. He says the problem will be solved with the commencement of the Cauvery fourth stage second phase project.