BENGALURU, 8 MARCH

Despite the government monitoring the water tanker prices, the residents of the City claimed that the rates remain the same and the helpline numbers (1916 and 1533) are inaccessible. 

Kalkere resident Ganesh Manikyan said, “Despite the government saying the tanker rates will be reduced, the tankers we are hiring are charging the same price.” He said, "I paid Rs 1,200 last week for 4,000 litres and two days back I paid Rs 1,500. The government issued the notice for the prices, but nobody is monitoring these tankers,” he said.

Another City resident, Shivappa from Hosakerehalli said: “Our borewell is dried up and we have no water sources apart from these water tankers. If we file a complaint against these tankers who else will deliver us the water? Along with my fellow residents when we reached out to the 1916 helpline, the number was not responding.”

Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) set up a control room at its head office to resolve water supply issues in 110 villages under 35 of its wards. The helplines and control rooms for the water crisis are currently receiving 15-20 calls every two hours in each ward, especially from the outskirts of Bengaluru.

The areas such as RR Nagar, Honnehalli, Budigere and Sarjapura receive 20 calls regarding the water problem every hour. A nodal officer from Herohalli told Salar News “We have been getting 10 calls from one village and I have 15 villages under my ward. I have to ask residents to wait with patience since we have two tankers to supply in the villages in our ward,” he said.

Kalkere resident Manikyan said: “I had paid Rs 20,000 to get the connection and pipe set for a water connection from BWSSB. It has been two years since then, I have not received any water from them.”

Areas under Mahadevapura zone, including Kadugodi, Byrathi, Hoodi, Whitefield, Varthur, Marathahalli, Bellandur and AECS Layout, are some of the worst-affected regions in terms of water supply. Other places facing supply disruptions are Doddabidarakallu, Lingadheeranahalli under the RR Nagar zone, Konanakunte, Vasanthapura under the Bommanahalli zone, Thanisandra, Amruthhalli under the Yelahanka zone, and Chikkasandra, Mallasandra under the Dasarahalli zone. 

However, when Salar News tried contacting the helpline numbers 1533 and 1916, both were unreachable. —Salar News