Bengaluru: Residents of Kuppuswamy Layout in Nagawara, who have been demanding that the BWSSB officials resolve the drinking water problem in their area for the last six months, on Saturday staged a protest in front of the BWSSB office at Cauvery Bhavan.

The protesters argued that though they have been complaining about drinking water shortage and contaminated water, the authorities have not bothered to resolve the problem. The area gets water only twice a week for not more than half an hour. And whatever little they get is contaminated mixed with sewage, mud and is unfit for drinking, they claimed.

“A majority of residents in Kuppuswamy Layout and HBR Layout have metered BWSSB connection from BWSSB but sewage particles flow into the pipes which get stuck in the meter. The water smells bad and residents are forced to buy mineral water or from private tankers,: Suhail, a member of  Kuppuswamy Layout Nagarikara Sangharshane told sources.

Another resident, Shaukat Ali, who claimed that he had noticed the Cauvery water pipeline running through a sewage chamber.

As the water smells bad and many of his family had fallen ill after consuming the water, he got a water purifier installed in his house. “I am poor and buying the purifier was a financial burden. I get water cans or fetch water from nearby localities,” Suhail said. He also added that after the residents announced staging a protest, BWSSB officials has visited the spot on Friday.

M N Sriram of Save Bangalore Committee demanded that BWSSB officials ensure two hour supply of clean drinking water every alternate day. “An individual needs about 168 litres of water per day for domestic purposes, but the residents get only about 35-50 litres,” he pointed out.

V Gnanamurthy, Co-convener, Save Bangalore Committee, said that if BWSSB does not solve the problems, then the committee will joint the residents in the protest.

BWSSB authorities promised the residents that officials will visit their locality on Monday and attend to their problems.