Slums to get legal water connections
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In an attempt to plug leakages and reduce unaccounted for water, the BWSSB will install water meters in 96 slums in the core areas of Bengaluru. Slum dwellers now get free water supply from public taps and through tankers.
Now, they will have individual water connections in their houses. “We are launching a drive to encourage people to take authorised water and sanitary connections and cut down unaccounted for water.
We’ve relaxed existing rules for taking new connections and also for regularisation of existing water and sanitary connections. The new plans particularly aim at regularising connections in slums and new BBMP areas,” BWSSB MD Gaurav Gupta said.
"Most slum dwellers do not have documents, like sanction plan, khata certificate or tax paid receipt. To make it easy for them to get an authorised connection, the board has directed its officials to accept documents like sale deed of the properly, GPA, telephone bill, electricity bill, ration card etc, along with an affidavit in a prescribed format on a stamp paper of Rs 20 from the applicant,” he added.
“This is a customer-friendly initiative to encourage the public to take RR numbers to their water, sanitary or borewell connections. This will ensure regular supply of water to them and certain revenue to BWSSB,” a senior official said.
The project costs Rs 39 crore and will take off early next year. It is expected to be completed by the end of next year.
It is being taken up with an aid from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). In the first phase, 96 slums will be given water and sanitary connections. In all, 362 slums will be covered by 2014-15.
With this, one lakh households in the city's slums will have individual water connections. The project involves laying pipeline and installing meters.
Most of these slums in the city areas currently draw free water as there are no meters installed in these areas. Many use illegal connections.
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