Chamarajanagar town is facing an acute water crisis, with several wards receiving drinking water only once a week and residents increasingly relying on private tankers as borewells dry up. The irregular supply has affected cooking, bathing and sanitation, while raising concerns about water storage, contamination and mosquito breeding.
The Chamarajanagar City Municipal Council and district administration draw water from the Cauvery near T. Narasipura in Mysuru district through a pipeline network serving around 16,000 households. The civic body pumps nearly nine lakh litres daily for a population of about one lakh spread across 31 wards, according to the report.
Residents of densely populated Ward No. 26 said their supply has been reduced to once a week. Families, including those with children and elderly members, have been forced to store water for daily use. Residents said water is sometimes released only after repeated complaints and may last for a day or two before stopping again.
The shortage has also created an additional financial burden. Residents in several wards, particularly Ward No. 26 and elevated areas, are purchasing water from private tankers at around Rs 500 for 1,500 litres and Rs 1,000 for 3,000 litres. They have urged the authorities to restore a regular supply schedule, increase tanker support where necessary and provide clear updates on corrective measures.
The pressure on the system has increased with the town’s expansion and population growth, particularly in newly developed layouts on the outskirts. The CMC has replaced damaged pipelines, plugged leakages, reduced distribution losses and rectified problems at pumping stations, but the crisis has continued. The municipality had also supplemented supply through 284 borewells across different wards.
Several of those borewells have gone dry this year because of falling groundwater levels, while others have recorded lower yields following a weak monsoon. CMC water-supply staff also identified inadequate storage infrastructure, including a shortage of overhead tanks in several wards, as a factor behind the recurring disruptions.
The situation in the district headquarters contrasts with the reported progress of multi-village drinking water schemes and lake-filling projects in villages across Chamarajanagar and Gundlupet taluks. While those interventions have addressed water scarcity in several rural areas, the town continues to await a long-term solution.
Chamarajanagar additional deputy commissioner T Javaregowda said district in-charge minister CS Puttarangashetty had directed the CMC to address the town’s immediate water needs until the Rs 286-crore Hosamalangi Drinking Water Project is completed. Javaregowda said the project is likely to be completed within one and a half years and is intended to provide round-the-clock drinking water to residents of Chamarajanagar and its outskirts.
Until then, residents remain dependent on an irregular municipal schedule, borewell availability and private tankers. The immediate response will depend on how the CMC manages interim distribution while work on the Hosamalangi project continues.
