Water tanker political gimmicks screech to a halt

BENGALURU: Thanks to the fact that model code of conduct is in place, Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board is able to breathe easy this summer. Tankers owned by corporators or MLAs painted with their pictures and party names that used to transport water to specific areas cannot be spotted on the roads now.

On an average, a total of 1.25 lakh litres of Cauvery water a day used to be transported by these tankers across the city annually between April and July. The politician pays the water board for the tanker and the water is distributed free of cost to the public in their chosen area.

According to a senior BWSSB official, "An average of 25 to 30 tankers of water were required each day for such distribution. It costs Rs 540 for 6,000 litres and Rs 810 for 9,000 litres of the water."

"Water saved by the BWSSB this summer can now be channelised into our distribution pipelines, so more water can be supplied to our regular consumers," the official said.

The gesture of ordering tankers is largely done by politicians to cultivate goodwill among the public, the official added. The tanker is taken by the owner's driver to water filling points across the City, before being returned.

"The demand to supply water used to be high in newly-added BBMP areas of Mahadevapura, Bommanahalli, Rajarajeshwari Nagar, Dasarahalli and Byatarayanapura, which do not receive Cauvery water and are heavily dependent on borewells," the official said, going on to add, "Cauvery Water Supply Stage V Scheme is set to change that now and water is ready to be supplied in 17 of 110 villages in these areas."

"There used to be a demand to supply water to slums in Ejipura, Jeevan Bima Nagar, Adugodi, KSRTC Layout slum, and a few other pockets within the City," he added.

Just before elections were announced, political parties vied with one another in March to supply tanker water to some areas on the outskirts.

Political heavyweights frequenting Cauvery Bhavan in regular intervals and demanding immediate attention and water for their constituencies, too, has stopped.