A parched landscape, poor infra: Problems galore for poll-bound IT city

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: The Karnataka Assembly election, scheduled for May 10, has not only brought the myriad colors of politicians to the limelight but also the grim picture of Bengaluru, the state capital and India's Silicon valley.

Poor supply or drinking water, lack of basic amenities, and encroachments continue to haunt most of the constituencies in Bengaluru. Bengaluru has 28 out of a total of 224 constituencies in the state. Most of the people in these constituencies have to contend with indifferent politicians, barely paying any heed to their complaints regarding shrinking basic amenities.

While the roads with potholes and footpaths encroached besides the polluted lakes and illegal constructions are undeniable issues in the city, residents allege a shortage of Cauvery water, mostly in the city limits. In Yeshvantpur, Shanti Nagar, Yelahanka, Mahadevapura, etc. the demand for the supply of drinking water tops the other demands.

“We have been deprived of drinking water for the last fifteen years. We are mostly dependent on the tanker Lorries to meet our water needs," said Santosh from Yeshvantpur. With the addition of multiple wards to BBMP in 2008 in Yeshvantpur, the demand for water has skyrocketed among the lower-income people. People in Shanti Nagar have also alleged that there was no supply of drinking water in their areas.

“How deep can they dig to find the groundwater? There are already people and firms digging the land through the borewells and exploiting it. Who is to be blamed here?” said Ramesh, a resident of the Mahadevpura. Social and environmental activists alleged that illegal construction, encroachment on the lake buffer zones, and pollution are a routine affair despite authorities' 'fake promise' to look into the problems.