Expensive water leaves residents thirsty

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Published on February 8, 2019 by

Drying bore wells cause a major problem in some parts of the city.

Water suppliers in the areas of Kasavanahalli, Sarjapur, Varthur have been charging residents double the price for drinking water.

Residents in this area are forced to buy water as bore wells are drying up. The gradual increase in water prices has left residents worried.

Chinnaswamy Reddy, a resident in Kasavanahalli, said, “They increase the price every day. It was Rs. 600 per tank before, now I have to pay Rs. 1000. Some tankers refuse to give water as they themselves don’t have water”.

Many water suppliersexplain the increase in price to the depleting water levels and increase in demand.

Prashanth K, a water supplier, said, “We have a lot of customers now so; we are not able to keep up with the demands. Water in our bore wells is running out too. So, we are favouring our old customers first and also whoever is willing to pay more”.

Some of the water that is supplied through these tankers is not even clean.

Chinnaswamy added, “Sometimes the water delivered is frothy. This time it had dead insects and dirt in it. But, we have no other option but to buy this water”.

There is no Bangalore Water Supply and Sewage Board (BWSSB) water supply in the area as well. Residents say though the water pipes were laid months ago, there has been no water connection even after continuous complaints.

Akshay Heblikar, an environmentalist, said, “There is overexploitation of ground water because of which we have a scarcity of drinking water. The suppliers themselves have dug many bore wells on their own. Buying drinking water is not the solution. The BWSSB must rectify why there is no water supply”.

The alarming rate, at which the ground water level is decreasing in the city, the residents are worried about what’s going to happen during summer. The demand and price for drinking water are expected to reach its peak.

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