Colossal waste of drinking water daily due to pipeline leaks, broken valves

Mysore/Mysuru: At a time when the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) has revised water tariff by 25 percent, broken pipelines and damaged valves across the city are causing massive wastage of treated drinking water, with lakhs of litres spilling onto the streets every day.

Residents say wastage is largely due to poor maintenance of water supply infrastructure by MCC and Vani Vilas Water Works (VVWW).

One of the major leaks has been reported at the junction of Premier Studio Road and Hunsur Road, opposite Sankalp Tiara Apartments. Thousands of litres of drinking water are being lost daily from a large water supply main line at this location.

Leakage since Nov. 2025

 According to residents, leakage appears to be at a coupling joint between two large supply pipes and water has been gushing continuously for more than six months without being repaired.

Speaking to Star of Mysore, residents said, they had submitted a written complaint to the VVWW office on Adipampa Road in November 2025 and had also entered the details in the complaint register. However, they claim that no action has been taken so far.

1.15 lakh litres per day

Residents attempted a simple estimate to gauge the scale of the wastage. “A 20-litre bucket fills in about 15 seconds. This roughly translates to around 80 litres per minute, or about 1.15 lakh litres per day. Over six months, more than 2 crore litres of treated drinking water could have been wasted,” they said.

Based on MCC’s water tariff rates, residents estimate that the value of the water lost could exceed Rs. 5 lakh.

Near VVWW Office

The problem, they point out, is not confined to a single location. Near Cheluvamba Park, opposite the VVWW office, a broken valve and burst pipe have resulted in persistent leakage.

Similar leaks have been reported outside the Vijayanagar Ground Level Water Storage Reservoir, opposite the Sub-Registrar’s Office and near Sangam Circle in Vijayanagar 2nd Stage, Manchegowdanakoppal.

Another pipeline burst at Ramaswamy Circle has forced authorities to place                                          barricades on the road. Residents say the problem worsens during the morning hours when water pressure is high, leading to stronger leaks.

Question of VVWW’s accountability

Questioning the lack of action, residents asked why VVWW, the water supply wing of MCC, has not taken immediate steps to repair the broken valves and pipelines, especially when some of the leaks are occurring close to its own premises.

“Who is responsible for inspecting and maintaining the main water supply pipelines in Mysuru? While MCC increases tariffs and cess on citizens every year, who is accountable for this massive wastage of water?” they asked.

They added that MCC should prioritise fixing leaks, reducing water losses and improving infrastructure maintenance before imposing higher tariffs on residents. “Otherwise, the Civic Body is effectively penalising citizens for its own administrative negligence,” they said.