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The Hindu : For safe waterS. VISWANATHCome summer and most Indian cities start reporting gastro-enteritis and cholera. In Bangalore this has happened in the month of January itself with boththe problems already in. Residents think that it is the contaminated mains supply from the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) that is the source of the gastro-enteritis.BWSSBthinks it is water bought by residents from the private water tankers that is the cause, but seems to have changed its mind later. An engineer has been suspended for carelessness and the residents are demonstrating in front of the head office of the service provider.It is feared that the cause may be the mix up of sewage and water and its absorption into the water lines or it may be contaminated water from other sources such as private tankers or borewells.What accounts for the real problemThe real issue is the complete inability of institutions in urban India to cover the entire city with their network and keep the water lines fully pressured and supply made available 24 hours a day. It is also the lack of accountability of the institutions for the quality of water delivered with residual chlorine levels as specified, which creates the problem. A re-look is needed at the entire structure of water supply in the city and the endemic problems addressed, else we will face the same health issue arising time and again.The leakage in the distribution network of old water pipes is enormous and of the order of 40 per cent in typical Indian cities. Pipes have not been replaced or upgraded in many places.The sewage system is defunct. Sewage is neither fully collected in a proper manner nor is it treated. People are not paying the true price for water and sewage collection and treatment and subsidies are mis-targeted. It costs the BWSSB Rs.18 to produce a kilo-litre of water and it supplies the…More