Mysuru: Chamarajanagar town is grappling with a severe drinking water crisis this summer, as water supply has been reduced to once every eight days in several wards. The situation has forced residents to depend on costly private tankers, sparking widespread anger against the City Municipal Council (CMC).
Residents forced to buy water
"Due to irregular water supply, residents of Galipura, Viveka Nagar, and several other layouts are compelled to purchase water from private tankers, paying between Rs 700 and Rs 1,000 per tanker," said Umesh, a resident of Viveka Nagar.
The CMC pumps water from the Cauvery River at T Narasipura through a pipeline, supplemented by 284 borewells, to serve over 16,000 households. However, the supply remains inadequate as new layouts emerge and the population continues to grow.
Infrastructure challenges
Although the CMC supplies nine lakh litres of water daily to all 31 wards, old pipelines, technical glitches at the pumping station, and leakages have led to significant distribution losses. Additionally, borewell yield has dropped due to summer-related groundwater depletion, exacerbating the crisis.
Government measures
Additional Deputy Commissioner T Javaregowda stated that measures have been initiated to address the situation. The Hosamalangi drinking water project is expected to ease the crisis. Tenders have been floated for the first phase of the project, which carries a cost of Rs 153 crore.
Residents continue to demand immediate action from the CMC to ensure regular water supply and mitigate the hardships caused by the ongoing shortage.
