Date:29/11/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/11/29/stories/2007112960680300.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Many slums get water once in 90 days

Staff Reporter

— Photo: K. Gopinathan

ONLY IN DROPS: Women’s Voice members staging a dharna in front of the BWSSB office at Cauvery Bhavan in Bangalore on Wednesday.

BANGALORE: Urban poor from over 40 slums in Yelahanka Assembly Constituency protested in front of the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) on Wednesday against lack of water supply in these areas on Wednesday.

“For the past three months there has been no water supply. People have to wait for more than four hours to get water at Rs. 3 a pot,” said Sheela, organising secretary of Women’s Voice, which led the protests.

Terming it “a violation of human rights”, Ms. Sheela said the burden was most borne by women as they were the ones who had to walk long distances.

In a memorandum submitted at Governor Rameshwar Thakur’s office, the group said the BWSSB’s failure had encouraged private players to take over the supply of water. The memorandum requested the Governor to direct the BWSSB to provide water supply to all slums in Yelahanka Assembly Constituency and to build a water storage tank to supply water to Idagha Mohalla slum, Tank Mohalla slum and Medina Mohalla slum, located in the elevated terrains of D.J. Halli.

A BWSSB official when contacted said the BWSSB could not lay pipelines in the area as the roads were narrow.

Since some slums were located at a higher level, water could be pumped only if an overhead tank were built. “There was some dispute over the land where the overhead tank was to be located. So we have identified another piece of land and once it is built, the problem will be solved,” he said.

The BWSSB is providing water through tankers.