Karnataka - Bangalore

Rs. 1.37 crore to change Bharatinagar pipeline

Bangalore: Following a report published in The Hindu on water contamination in Makaan compound of Bharatinagar, the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) has chalked out a Rs. 1.37-crore project to change the entire drinking water pipeline network in Bharatinagar.

“Work will start on Thursday from Makaan Compound,” a top BWSSB official said.

Residents of Makaan compound have been getting discoloured and stinking water through their taps for the last eight days and a five-year-old child, Ismail Khan, has fallen ill with vomiting and diarrhoea even as several others are complaining of uneasiness and nausea.

This is the third time that water contamination has been reported from the area in the last six months.

“Two leaks have been detected in the area and they have been rectified. We have also cleared the sanitary blockages. Water was supplied after the repair work was completed and samples were tested at our laboratory. The samples were free from contamination,” the official explained.

A separate proposal to change the entire underground drainage system at a cost of Rs. 1 crore had been chalked out and work would start shortly, he said.

The Karnataka State Legal Services Authority, which had taken note of the report, said it might file a writ petition before the High Court seeking directions to the BWSSB and BBMP to take steps for supply of water free from contamination.

A statement from the authority said that The Hindu’s report indicated the negligence and failure on the part of the officials of BWSSB and BBMP.

“The Government is liable to pay compensation to the affected citizens,” the statement said.

The authority would request the High Court to direct the service providers to recover the compensation amount from the officials concerned, the statement added.

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