BENGALURU: Deputy Chief Minister and Congress leader D K Shivakumar on Monday launched a scathing attack on the BJP alleging that the opposition party was indulging in politics over the water shortage in Bengaluru.
“The BJP is planning a protest against the state government tomorrow, let them do what they want. First, let them approach the central government and ask them to give permission to Mahadayi and Mekedatu projects”, he said.
“There is no such scarcity of water in Bengaluru, it is the BJP that has created the scarcity, it’s what they’re doing, we are providing what we have been asked legally to Tamil Nadu. Our priority to provide water to Bengaluru”, the Deputy CM added.
Shivakumar highlighted that nearly 7,000 borewells were running short in the city and efforts were on to address the issue. “Seven thousand out of 16,000 borewells became defunct. We are trying all possible ways to provide water to people. The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) and Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) nodal officers are looking into the matter. We acted against the water tanker mafia by taking them to task, 1,500 tankers have already been registered. There will be a board and number to see which are legal water provider tankers and illegal providers who are charging more. We are providing free water to slums. The BJP indulging in politics, we are not concerned about it”, Shivakumar said.
Shivakumar who is also the minister in charge for Bengaluru, said the government is working on multiple fronts to ensure the crisis is addressed. “I won’t ask companies to work from home, there isn’t that much scarcity yet. We are committed to provide water to Bengalureans”, Shivakumar further said.
On Sunday, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah attacked the previous BJP government for not doing enough to address the water issue in the state.
“There was a BJP government from 2008-2013. At that time, no attention was paid to the projects of treating waste water and filling the lakes. Lakes in Kolar, Chikkaballapur, Bangalore Rural, Tumakuru, Anekal constituencies have dried up and the lake has been filled through KC Valley, HN Valley, Sanekal, Hoskote, Kadubeesanahalli projects. We did the work of providing water to Nelamangala and Tumakuru districts. About Rs 150 crore have been spent on the project of filling water to 38 lakes which was inaugurated today. Our government has spent Rs 2,809 crore for KC Valley, HN Valley, Anekal, Hoskote project and 317 lakes have been filled in the first phase. Another Rs 1,699 crore is being spent on the second phase of the works which are in progress and 392 lakes are being filled”, the CM said. (ANI)