Hubballi's Drinking Water Crisis Deepens with Extended Supply Gaps
In numerous localities across Hubballi, the drinking water situation remains dire, with many areas receiving water only once every seven days. During power outages or operational disruptions, these gaps can extend to nine or even ten days, creating severe hardships for residents.
Intermittent Wards Bear the Brunt
The city's 44 wards classified as intermittent supply zones continue to face consistently difficult conditions. Najeer Honyal, corporator from Ward No. 71, revealed that while half his ward receives partial 24/7 water supply, the other half suffers from erratic schedules—sometimes waiting seven, nine, or even thirteen days between supplies.
Families are compelled to store water for prolonged periods, often using unsuitable containers that heighten contamination risks and potential waterborne illnesses. When water does arrive, it frequently comes in short bursts with low pressure, making collection particularly challenging for households on upper floors or at the tail ends of distribution lines.
Daily Life Disrupted and Health Concerns Mount
Residents spend hours monitoring valves, waiting for supply, and managing storage, which disrupts work, school, and daily routines. The burden falls disproportionately on women, elderly individuals, and those with health conditions who struggle to handle heavy containers, Honyal emphasized.
Arif Bhadrapur, corporator of Ward No. 53, reported that his ward currently receives water once every eight to ten days—a slight improvement from the previous fifteen-day intervals. However, these extended gaps force households to depend on private tankers, packaged water, or informal sources, driving up monthly expenses and exacerbating inequality between those who can afford alternatives and those who cannot.
Rising Tensions and Systemic Issues
In many Old Hubballi areas, residents report increasing conflicts over water access, with queues, disputes, and complaints escalating whenever supply is delayed. Power failures and equipment breakdowns are major triggers for these delays, highlighting a system lacking adequate backup arrangements and rapid-response maintenance capabilities.
The persistent classification of 44 wards as intermittent underscores a critical service gap that demands urgent attention from authorities.
Infrastructure Projects Offer Hope
Sources within the Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation (HDMC) indicate progress under a World Bank-assisted project aimed at expanding 24/7 water supply to all wards. The laying of a 29.5 km raw water trunk main from Savadatti jackwell to Amminbhavi Water Treatment Plant is complete, with only a small stretch remaining in the 17.9 km clear water trunk main from Amminbhavi to Rayapur.
With the 43 MLD water treatment plant at Amminbhavi nearing its final stages, authorities plan to improve water supply frequency in intermittent wards by the end of February or March 1.
Mayor Jyothi Patil stated that water supply frequency in intermittent wards will be gradually increased, with the goal of ensuring all wards receive water at least once every three days. This phased approach aims to address the longstanding crisis while balancing infrastructure constraints.
