As the dry winter months follow the monsoon, residents’ welfare associations (RWAs) in Bengaluru are calling on local authorities to resolve ongoing sewage issues that disrupt daily life. Leaking sewage pipes have become a growing concern, especially in areas where sewage mixes with stormwater drains.
In Tilak Nagar, a 400-meter stretch of the main road has been significantly impacted by sewage contamination, raising health alarms for over 600 residents. The problem has persisted for five to six years, despite the installation of a new sewage pipeline through former Bangalore South MLA Soumya Reddy’s initiative. However, a damaged pipeline near the Tilak Nagar police station has worsened the situation.
Parameswaran TK, a long-time resident and secretary of the LIC/Canara Bank Colony RWA, expressed frustration over the lack of progress. “Despite approaching the BWSSB chairman 12 times and performing a puja for a separate sewage line in August 2024, nothing has been done. The sewage is breeding mosquitoes and making life unbearable,” he said.
BWSSB Executive Engineer Raghavendra CR responded that road-cutting approvals from the BBMP are pending and that work on a new pipeline will begin soon.
In Medahalli, a 500-meter stretch of sewage has affected nearly 1,500 residents, with rising cases of illness, including dengue. BWSSB officials are working to replace the existing pipeline with a larger one to address the issue.