Here, taps have been dry since four years

Residents in BDA Layout say despite making several complaints, BWSSB has been tap dancing around the problem

Over 300 residents of BDA Layout Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) Stage 3, off old Airport Road, have been living without water in their taps for four years after the supply ceased abruptly in 2006.

Countless complaints to theu00a0 BWSSB have yielded no results, say residents of nearly 70 houses of the fourth block of the area, who now depend on tankers, wells and roadside hand pumps for their water needs.

"My family and I have been living in this house for 10 years but we had no such problem until four years ago.
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Geeta Pai, resident of HAL Stage 3, shows a copy of the water bill sent to her by BWSSB.

We were relying heavily on our well all this while, but even that has gone dry now. We have to fetch water from the neighbouring blocks," said Ravi Chandra (45), a mechanical engineer, who resides in BDA layout.

"It seems no one is bothered unless it's election time. We are still paying our water bill, which comes to Rs 90-odd every month despite having no water. The last complaint I filed was 15 days back," he added.

'No response'

Eshwari Holla (64), a housewife, echoed Chandra's views, "We've been making countless complaints to the BWSSB but nothing has happened.
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Initially, they sent someone to inspect the problem after we complained but now even that has stopped. Our only alternative is to use water from the wells, which is not clean at all."

A K Varadan, President of the BDA Layout Residents Welfare Association, confirmed the problem and said their complaints have fallen on deaf ears.

Officialspeak

T Venkatraju, Chief-Engineer, BWSSB, said the problem is due to development work disrupting the flow of water to the area.

"There is a problem with the water reception in that area. The water supply is very low because there is a problem with the underground system.

They are not receiving sufficient water because of the development work in other areas which has disrupted the flow here,"u00a0 he said.

"We are sending tankers to the area and the water is free for them. They needn't tip the driver or pay him anything at all," he added.

However, Venkatraju refused to comment on when the problem was expected to be resolved.