CESC’s careless cable work leaves Mysuru residents thirsty
Mysuru: Residents in several parts of Mysuru city are being forced to endure severe drinking water scarcity, with water supply disrupted once in two days, not because of dwindling water levels in the Cauvery basin reservoirs but due to the alleged negligence of Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Company Limited (CESC) and its contractors. The ongoing underground (UG) cable-laying works across the city have turned into a source of misery for residents, with contractors repeatedly damaging the main drinking water pipelines while digging roads. The absence of proper supervision by CESC officials has compounded the problem, leaving several localities without water for hours and, at times, for one to two days. The cable-laying works, which had been temporarily suspended last month in view of the Dasara festivities, have resumed in several parts of the city. CESC has entrusted the work to multiple contractors, who have deployed machinery and labourers to dig roads and lay underground cables. However, the workers appear to be digging without taking adequate precautions to identify the existing drinking water pipelines. In the last eight to 10 days alone, such incidents have reportedly occurred three to four times, disrupting water supply to entire localities. Once a pipeline is damaged, workers from the Vani Vilasa Water Works (VVWW) have to rush to the spot and undertake repairs. The process takes several hours, during which residents are left scrambling for water.
“We are being punished for no fault of ours. There is water in the Cauvery reservoirs, but we are forced to go without drinking water because someone has damaged the pipeline while digging the road. How long should we depend on water tankers?” a resident of an affected locality said.
Another resident expressed frustration over the repeated disruptions.
“This is not an isolated incident. The pipeline gets damaged, water supply stops, and we have to wait for a day or two for normal supply to resume. CESC should take responsibility for the hardship caused to residents,” the citizen said. The issue is not new. A few months ago, the then Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) Commissioner had ordered the suspension of underground cable-laying works across the city following complaints about shoddy execution. The dug-up roads were not being properly restored, causing considerable inconvenience to motorists and commuters. The works were subsequently resumed after CESC assured the civic authorities that the roads would be properly filled and restored. Now, the repeated damage to drinking water pipelines has raised fresh questions about the quality of execution and monitoring of the works. A VVWW official told City Hilights that CESC contractors were digging roads recklessly without slowing down their machinery or exercising caution near water pipelines. “We are not against CESC or its underground cable project. But the contractors must instruct their workers to exercise caution while digging. Every time a pipeline is damaged, our staff have to rush for repairs, and people suffer for one or two days without water. Proper coordination between the departments is essential,” the official said. Residents have urged CESC to deploy supervisory staff at work sites, ensure coordination with VVWW before digging and hold contractors accountable for damaging essential water infrastructure. With the city’s underground cable project continuing, citizens say that development works should not come at the cost of their basic right to drinking water. Eom
