BWSSB vigilance squad flooded with water theft calls
An official, who is part of the team, said on condition of anonymity that more surprise raids will be carried out in the coming days.
Bengaluru: After the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) set up a three-member vigilance team to curb water thefts, there has been a flurry of phone call from citizens providing tip offs.
17 FIRs registered
Acting upon the information provided by citizens, the squad has been able to carry out raids and book over 17 FIRs against the accused.
An official, who is part of the team, said on condition of anonymity that more surprise raids will be carried out in the coming days.
“After the squad was set up, we decided to take the help of the citizens in tracking down the culprits. The board is losing a huge share of its revenue in the form of water leakages and thefts. To plug the huge financial losses we encouraged citizens to call us and let us know about theft so that we can carry out raids and take action,” he added.
Drought
The state is reeling under severe drought this year with water levels in the Cauvery dams reaching historic lows and dipping beyond the dead storage. This being the case the demand for water is very high and water thefts will be dealt with iron hand, the officer explained.
There were cases where apartments were consuming huge quantities of water, but the bill amount never cross Rs150, he added.