Water crisis and sanitation woes plague Bengaluru's Subhash Nagar

Sowmya Raju | NT

Bengaluru: Drinking water is of paramount importance for our overall health and wellbeing. It is a necessity for all living things.

However, despite its significance, many people in Bengaluru, especially the residents of Subhash Nagar, Ward no 75, continue to be deprived of access to clean and safe drinking water. With rapid urbanisation, pollution, and depleting water resources, the city has struggled to meet the demand for safe drinking water, leaving a considerable number of its residents without access to this basic necessity.

In Subhash Nagar near MG Block, there is a significant urban slum where approximately a thousand people reside in around 500 small houses. Each house accommodates three to five residents who struggle to access basic necessities such as clean drinking water and sanitation facilities.

Where do these residents get drinking water?

Residents of the slum receive water supply every other day, either through lorries or through taps provided by the government. The water supply is between 6 am and 9 am, and the supply is very low and slow. Residents complain that the water is barely enough for drinking, let alone cooking.

"Since the water supply is in the morning, it is while we are getting ready for our day," said Malini, a resident of the slum. "We need to take all the vessels we have to fill them with the little water that flows." She also mentioned that often sewerage water is mixed with drinking water, which makes it extremely difficult for the residents as they have no choice but to use it.

Another resident, Ambika, who does household work, said that the water supply is irregular and people who can afford it will resort to buying water cans, but her family is unable to afford it. She mentioned that the water mixes with sewage, which makes it impossible for the residents to drink it. It has also caused several diseases in a few residents.

A resident of the slum said that there is a borewell installed by the government to provide water for purposes other than drinking, such as washing clothes, vessels, and bathing. However, the water supply through the borewell is not enough for every resident of the slum. As a result, some residents have to collect water from public sources, which can be time-consuming and inconvenient.

Although the water supply is extremely low to nonexistent for the residents of this ward, the water bill that they are required to pay is extremely high. If they fail to pay their water bill for a month, they are forced to pay an extremely high fine.

Other issues

Another issue faced by the residents of the slum is the unavailability of adequate toilet facilities. Most residents here use the public toilet, which is extremely unclean and unsanitary. Ambika expressed her disgust, saying, "The toilets are extremely unclean, and it is an issue for us because we cannot urinate in public as men do." She also mentioned how she sometimes felt disgusted and unsafe walking through the road where most people excrete in public.