Mysuru: Irregular drinking water supply has severely affected residents of Chamarajanagar town, with several wards receiving water only once a week.The erratic supply schedule has forced families to store water for daily needs, raising concerns over hygiene, contamination and mosquito breeding. Households, particularly those with children, elderly members and working professionals, say managing cooking, bathing and sanitation has become increasingly difficult.Despite repeated complaints to district in-charge minister CS Puttarangashetty and the district administration, residents allege that the situation has only worsened in the district headquarters. They blame poor planning, delayed repairs and inadequate monitoring of water distribution.The Chamarajanagar City Municipal Council (CMC) and the district administration draw water from the Cauvery near T. Narasipura in Mysuru district through a pipeline network that serves around 16,000 households. The CMC pumps nearly nine lakh litres of water daily to cater to a population of about one lakh spread across 31 wards.However, rapid urban expansion and population growth, particularly in newly developed layouts on the city’s outskirts, have increased pressure on the system. Residents of densely populated Ward No. 26 say they now receive water only once a week.They have urged authorities to restore a regular schedule, increase tanker supply where necessary, and provide clear updates on corrective measures.Although the CMC has replaced damaged pipelines, plugged leakages, reduced distribution losses and rectified issues at pumping stations, the drinking water crisis continues to persist.The civic body had also supplemented supply through 284 borewells across various wards. However, several borewells have gone dry this year due to falling groundwater levels, while others have recorded reduced yield following a weak monsoon. The shortage has further aggravated the crisis.According to CMC water supply staff, the lack of adequate storage infrastructure, including overhead tanks in several wards, is another major reason for the recurring shortages. The disruption has forced residents of several wards, particularly Ward No. 26 and other elevated areas, to purchase water from private tankers, paying around Rs 500 for a 1,500-litre tanker and Rs 1,000 for a 3,000-litre tanker.While multi-village drinking water schemes and lake-filling projects have largely addressed water scarcity in villages of Chamarajanagar and Gundlupet taluks, residents of the district headquarters continue to face acute shortages without a long-term solution. “Though residents of Ward No. 26 have repeatedly brought the issue to the notice of the district administration, CMC, the local MLA and district minister CS Puttarangashetty, the problem remains unresolved. Water is released only after repeated complaints, and the supply lasts for a day or two before stopping again,” said Mahadevashetty, a resident of Ward No. 26.Chamarajanagar additional deputy commissioner T Javaregowda said that district minister CS Puttarangashetty also gave directions to CMC to address the city’s water needs until the completion of Rs 286-crore Hosamalangi Drinking Water Project. Residents of Chamarajanagar, both the city and its outskirts, will receive a round-the-clock drinking water facility once the project is completed, which will likely be completed within one and a half years, he said.
