'Negligent', Palike puts residents in limbo amid water shortage

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: In a bid to act on citizen grievance in the potable water crisis, helpline numbers provided by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) have not been responsive to resident’s plea, the latter alleged.

V K Srivatsa, General Secretary, change makers of Kanakapura Road, association federation alleged that the officers were of no help to the residents in ward 198 Balaji Nagar in Hemmigepura, who requested for potable water.

The water tankers have allegedly been seized and hence their unavailability.

“While informing the nodal officer from the BWSSB, he replied in a rude tone to call him only during office hours. I was also given another number, to be contacted," Srivatsa said.

The call with the BBMP nodal officer is what surprised Srivatsa. “The officer was clueless about his number being published amongst citizens. The activist then spoke to a respondent on the Palike helpline number 1533.

“I was given the landline number of the RR Nagar zone control room, which was not registered,” he alleged.

This shows the laid back, negligent approach of the civic agency, in a time where residents are struggling for basic necessities.

The plight is similar amongst residents in Ward 103 Whitefield. When calling the nodal officer, a resident allegedly is left with a blank tone after an automated welcome message.

“We were directed to call the BBMP’s helpline number 1533,” said another resident.

This puts a question mark on the civic agencies’ purpose for being responsive.

Without an established structure, in addition to negligent officers, residents are facing the brunt in their already difficult battle with water shortage.