How lockdown is affecting a water-starved community in Bengaluru

by May 2, 2020 Water Supply
Azima, a resident of Banashankari, says water comes to the public tap in her locality only once in three days. Forget social distancing, even fights happen here for water.

RJ Usha from Radio Active 90.4 MHz talks to Azima, a resident of Banashankari, on the effects of water shortage during COVID-19 lockdown.

Azima says shortage of drinking water is a key concern in her locality within Banashankari ward. Drinking water is available only once in about three days, and when water is released from the public tap, people crowd to collect it. This sometimes ends even in fights. Residents of this area do not have any other source of drinking water as they have to travel around a kilometre just to buy a Bisleri bottle. 

Azima recounts that she once had to wait from 6 am to 6 pm for drinking water, but still did not get it. When she was forced to move out to buy a Bisleri bottle, she was questioned by the police. Complaining to the corporator about water shortage has not yielded any result so far. Releasing water once a day at a specified time would be helpful for the community, Azima said.

During Ramzan, water shortage is an impediment to fasting and other festivities. Namaz and other rituals are now being observed in people’s homes, Azima said. Apart from the drinking water issue, residents here are concerned about the rise in the prices of vegetables and other essentials.

https://soundcloud.com/radioactivecr90-4mhz/ra-covid-19-special-with-azima-and-mansoor-dealing-with-water-struggles-in-ward-178-rj-usha
Listen to the Radio Active COVID -19 Special – Azima, a resident of Banashankari, in conversation with RJ Usha from Radio Active

[Compiled by Deeksha Sudhindra]

Sections:

About Radio Active 90.4MHz

Radio Active 90.4MHz is a community radio that serves as a platform for marginalised communities in Bengaluru.
Read more by Radio Active 90.4MHz

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Similar Story

Neglected, polluted lakes of Peenya: Insights from data

by , , , and May 2, 2024 Water Supply
A study of effluent contamination in the Peenya Industrial Area shows that it is one of the primary causes for Bengaluru's water crisis.

As Bengaluru struggles with an ongoing water crisis, it reports a shortage of about 500 million litres of water every day. The significant water problem in the city is frequently blamed on insufficient rainfall, unregulated groundwater exploitation, and environmental negligence. However, it is essential to investigate water contamination, notably from sewage and industrial effluents, as a major cause of the water crisis. The focus then moves to Shivpura Lake in the Peenya Industrial Area.  Although a key industrial area, Peenya is neglected, as evidenced by its poor infrastructure and pollution issues. Shivpura Lake, in particular, is contaminated by the surrounding…

Continue reading

Similar Story

What data says about Bengaluru’s alternatives to Cauvery water

by , , , and April 26, 2024 Water Supply
Data enthusiasts analysed possible ways to make Bengaluru self-sufficient, without relying on Cauvery river.

The Cauvery River is located 100 kilometres away from Bengaluru, 350 metres lower than the city’s elevation. The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) has to spend approximately Rs. 3 crores per day as electricity charges to pump the water over such long distances. The city’s dependence on Cauvery as its primary water source prompted us to analyse this issue at the recently held 'Bengaluru Water Datajam', held by Opencity.in. Since the extraction of water from the Cauvery is recent (just 50 years ago), how did Bengaluru operate its water needs before the onset of rapid urbanisation? Since, we…

Continue reading