Employees’ strike throws water supply in Hubballi-Dharwad out of gear

Hubballi: The long line of people forming a beeline for the reverse osmosis (RO) units across the twin cities was one indication of the crisis that the Karnataka Water Board (KWB) is grappling with in Hubballi-Dharwad. In the wake of the government’s decision entrusting the supply of water to a private agency, KWB employees went on strike, demanding their retention. Consequently, this has resulted in the disruption in supply of water to households across Hubballi-Dharwad.
The private company now handling the onerous responsibility of supplying water to all households is yet to streamline the process, owing to which there is some confusion, while the employees’ strike has compounded the situation. With Eid-ul-Fitr, Ramzan, Akshaya Tritiya festivities around the corner, residents are understandably upset with the disruption in water supply, when their requirement for the same is particularly acute.
Lingaraj Nagar resident Dr CG Zalaki complained that residents of the twin cities appeared to have turned unwitting victims of the turf war between the Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation (HDMC) and KWB employees. “The district administration needs to ensure smooth supply of water to all households. Residents being denied supply of water during festivals is not a good sign. The elected representatives must take cognisance of the problem, and resolve the issue at the earliest, else residents may be forced to descend on the streets to protest against the authorities concerned,” Dr Zalaki told TOI.
Hubballi-based activist Amrut Ijari charged the government with being irresponsible in its handling of affairs that directly concerned the wellbeing of citizens. “The government must have resolved the dispute over the employees’ demands before handing over the responsibility of supplying water to L&T. We have a Union minister elected from Dharwad, while the chief minister too is originally from the district, despite which we are facing trouble with water supply,” said Ijari, warning the government of launching an agitation if the issue was not resolved soon.
Unkal resident Sharada Patil said that, her son, busy preparing for his examinations, was forced to lug water from the nearby RO unit. “There is a long queue at the RO unit since most households have not been supplied water. We keep hearing about water being supplied to all wards round-the-clock, but there is no water at all now,” she said.
Most citizens have been forced to hire private water tankers, who have doubled their rates. Residents of localities on the outskirts either had to take water from private borewells, or source it from the lakes. Akshay Colony resident Praveen Radder had to wait for more than 30 minutes to take home 20 litres of water. “I am worried about the situation going ahead,” he said.
‘Workers agitating despite our assurances’
We are trying to convince all the 588 Karnataka Water Board employees to return to work. We understand their concerns, and the reasons behind their protest. But it is disappointing to learn that they are damaging and shutting off water valves where L&T and HDMC employees are working to restore water supply. We have assured the protesting workers that none of them will lose their job. But the high court rejected their demand to be paid salary by the HDMC. We have offered them the choice of returning to HDMC through contractors after two years. Despite all our assurances, they are still on strike. We have been patient for the past week, and if they continue their agitation, we will be forced to consider our options, including hiring other employees.
- Nitesh Patil | Deputy Commissioner, Dharwad District
‘Don’t want to be employed directly by L&T’
We have filed a caveat in the high court with regard to the issue with our contract. The case is pending with the court, which, in its order, stated that temporary employees of KWB shall work under L&T. On the basis of this order, we want the HDMC commissioner to depute us to L&T by issuing a formal notification. But the HDMC commissioner is refusing our demand. We are now fighting for our rights. We do not want to be employed directly by L&T under any condition.
- Basavaraj Mukkal | General Secretary, Hubballi-Dharwad Water Supply Employees’ Association