Mysuru:  Water supply to Mysuru city by Vani Vilas Water Works (VVVW) has not been effective and comprehensive all these years despite crores of rupees being pumped into the system and the supply network being handed over to private players in the past. Activists and civic experts have criticised the VVVW for not being professional in exercising its duties.

They have also blamed excessive control of the water supply arm of the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) by Corporators and elected representatives. They feel that constitution of an exclusive water supply Board to Mysuru — Mysuru Urban Water Supply and Sewerage Board — would streamline things.

Speaking to Star of Mysore this morning, Dr. Bhamy V. Shenoy of the Mysore Grahakara Parishat (MGP) said that he was pained though not surprised to learn that elected representatives and officers at yesterday’s meeting stated that everything was working well the way MCC is managing VVWW and there is no need to hand it over to a technically competent KUWS&DB or to form an autonomous body to manage water supply.

“The MGP has been advocating this concept of constituting an autonomous body for water supply without any luck for several years. We also know how MCC failed to use the hardware and software investment made by JUSCO. No one has been held responsible for such waste of public funds,” he added.

“The MCC is grossly incapable of managing a highly technical operation like water supply. I am glad that Deputy Commissioner Rohini Sindhuri has argued strongly supporting the strategy of handing over the water supply to KUWS&DB or constitute a separate body like the one in Bengaluru,” he said.

“The VVWW is being excessively controlled by the Corporators and there is regular interference in its functioning which has made it impossible to ensure equitable water supply to all the 65 Wards of the city. Unfortunately, a competent KUWS&DB will look after 52 villages coming under MUDA but a politically-oriented body (MCC&VVVW) with no technical competence is responsible for ensuring water supply to Mysuru. It’s high time that a separate autonomous body is formed like in Bengaluru to ensure water supply to Mysureans,”  he added.