Bengaluru Residents Face Cauvery Water Woes Despite 20 years of Long-Awaited Supply
After waiting two decades for Cauvery water, residents of Mallappa Layout in Bengaluru’s Babusabpalya are now battling frustration instead of relief. Since the supply began in March 2025, over 40 leaks have plagued the newly connected pipelines, many surfacing on freshly laid roads. Residents cite poor infrastructure coordination, damaged lines from previous cable-laying activities, and low-pressure supply as ongoing problems, forcing them to rely on meagre and irregular water delivery while still being billed regularly.
The long-awaited arrival of Cauvery water in Mallappa Layout has failed to improve everyday life for most of its 222 households. While the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) officially began the supply in March 2025, constant leaks and poor water pressure have rendered it unreliable. According to the Residents Welfare Association (RWA), optical fibre cable installations between 2022 and 2024 damaged key pipeline segments just before new roadworks began. Residents claim 43 leaks have emerged since, many causing repeated damage to newly tarred streets. While officials from BWSSB attend to repair calls, residents allege temporary patchwork and a lack of proper sealing, leading to recurring failures. To make matters worse, the BWSSB reportedly lacks accurate maps of pipelines laid between 2018 and 2021, making precise leak detection challenging. Residents, already burdened by low supply frequency, say that the water they do receive is sometimes contaminated with sewage.
The current water supply schedule — two hours, twice a week — is inadequate for a layout spread across eight streets. Many homes, particularly those at the far ends of the network, receive little or no water, with pressure so low that even basic storage needs remain unmet. Residents say they’re billed for usage regardless, sometimes for water that never reaches their taps. Complaints have included air gushing through pipes before any water arrives, damaging household plumbing and meters. Residents have long urged BWSSB and other utilities like BESCOM and OFC providers to coordinate work and prevent further damage to buried pipelines. Senior engineers from BWSSB have stated that visible leaks are being addressed as they are detected, but no clear timeline for complete system stabilisation has been shared. Locals continue to demand a comprehensive audit of the water supply infrastructure and an overhaul of damaged lines to ensure fair access and long-term reliability.
Mallappa Layout’s residents remain caught between long-promised civic development and the reality of poor execution. While the Cauvery water connection marked a milestone after years of neglect, the ongoing infrastructure failures, low pressure, and contamination concerns have severely undercut its benefits. Authorities are being urged to map pipelines, increase pressure safely, and install proper drainage safeguards to prevent future contamination. As the monsoon continues and water demand rises, families in the area fear that their decades-long wait may stretch further unless a sustainable and accountable intervention is made swiftly.
