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BANGALORE: Three years of harrowing wait is coming to an end. When the newly elected BBMP council assembles at 10 am on Friday, Bangaloreans will finally get a proper forum to debate and discuss civic issues.
A closed door pre-council meeting of councillors was held on Thursday to discuss the main agenda, which will focus on the upcoming BBMP budget and the corporation fund status.
But most corporators are eager to find a solution to water woes as well, not just for their wards, but for the entire city. Drinking water and garbage problems top their agenda for the day.
Some of them like opposition leader M Nagaraj have already got into action mode by staging a protest outside the BWSSB office on Thursday against water shortage.
SANITARY LINES DAMAGED
Noor Jahan Sharief, Congress corporator of Kushalnagar, has a long list of issues for the day. “Across the ward, there’s no proper water supply. Problematic sanitary lines add to it. Even recently laid lines have to be repaired as they are not as per standards. Some of them are already damaged,” she says. Ration cards for the poor and voter ID woes are the other issues.
“Water problem should be seriously addressed. Related to it is the power issue. We should also have a white paper on what happened during the last three-and-a-half years,” says Padmanabhareddy of Kacharakanahalli ward.
Most of the BJP corporators contacted by TOI were also keen on raising water woes at the meeting.
SOME AREAS DRY
“Problems are the same everywhere, though water now is the main issue. In fact, most of the councillors wanted the first session to concentrate only on water,” observes Dr Geetha, Atturu ward corporator.
“Sikka pate kashta (real problem),” said M Muniraju, BJP corporator of Yelahanka Satellite Town, when asked about water issues in his ward. And he has a rather dramatic explanation about erratic distribution across his ward. “It’s strange, some areas in my ward have sufficient water, others are almost dry. The drains and garbage accumulation are other issues,” he said.
OLD RESERVOIR
K V Yashoda of Chowdeshwari ward still has some hope. “Drinking water is a problem. Six borewells have been sanctioned and tendered but 30% of areas in the ward still have a problem. The groundwater reservoir (GLR) in our area is very old. Repair work has started but will take one-and-a-half months. Yet another problem is garbage. Rejuvenation of Yelahanka lake has a sanction of Rs 60 crore. We need to look into this as well.”
However, a few like Munendrakumar of Jakkuru and Lalitha of Thanisandra were yet to decide on any agenda. “We haven’t found any ward issue to represent yet. We will decide at the meeting,” they said.
WORRYING FACTORS
Across the ward, there’s no proper water supply. Problematic sanitary lines add to it
Noor Jahan Sharief | KUSHALNAGAR
We should have a white paper on what happened during the last three-and-a-half years
Padmanabhareddy | KACHARAKANAHALLI
Some areas in my ward have sufficient water, others are almost dry
M Muniraju | YELAHANKA SATELLITE TOWN
The groundwater reservoir (GLR) in our area is very old. Repair work has started but will take one-anda-half months
K V Yashoda | CHOWDESHWARI WARD