I live in Bangalore — a city that’s been my home for three long years. Yes, I have loved this city like my own. For three long years, this city has given me so much to do, so much to look forward to, that I couldn’t have asked for anything more. I have made wonderful friends and lovely acquaintances. I have been allowed to pursue my dreams. I owe it to you, Bangalore. I do.

I have become used to some autowallas robbing me of my hard-earned money, but at the same time, I have met autodrivers who have taken the shortest path to a particular destination. I have become used to the extravagant lifestyles of people, but the same people have been the warmest people that I have come across.

But one thing that I haven’t become used to, Bangalore, are your roads.

No.

And let’s not forget about the intermittent water supply.

According to a post by T S Sudhir titled Will Bangalore have to be evacuated by 2023? for Firstpost, The Government of Karnataka will have to evacuate half of Bangalore in the next ten years, due to water scarcity, contamination of water and diseases.

The author quotes V Balasubramanian, the former Additional Chief Secretary of Karnataka and Chairman, Centre for Policies and Practices, who conducted an elaborate study of the water woes of the city. In the article, Sudhir validates the statement by presenting lab results from the Public Health Institute, and the Department of Mines and Geology of the Karnataka government. According to the results, 52 per cent of the borewell water, and 59 per cent of tap water in Bangalore, is not potable and contains 8.4 per cent and 19 per cent E.coli bacteria respectively. It means that the groundwater in at least half of Bangalore is contaminated with sewage water.

I have faced this problem for three long years. It’s either the water or the roads. Even this year, the road’s dug up outside my house near Basappa Road. There’s absolutely no place for the people to walk and go about their daily routines.

There’s ‘work’ been done but it’s at its slow pace where the authorities (Bangalore Water Supply and Sewage Board and Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike) are unconcerned and unsympathetic of the living conditions of people in the area. The tankers (they charge 800 bucks whereas the normal charges are around 300-400 rupees) can’t come because the road’s dug up.

So the situation is such that there’s no water because the road’s dug up and the road’s dug up because there’s no water. (Yes, amazing, isn’t it?)

The sewage water from the underground pipes has segregated around the area and the constant rains have assured a definite home for mosquitoes and a case for water-borne diseases.

I don’t know what is worse.

According to a survey conducted by Janaagraha in 2013, about 72% of Bangaloreans get contaminated water, and 15 of BBMP’s 198 wards get 100% contaminated water. There’s little demarcation between the rich and the poor as about 69.83% of well-to-do households complained of bacterial contamination, as against 75.87% of poorer families surveyed.The survey also highlighted the fact that the deaths in Karnataka were attributed to five diseases — acute diarrhoeal diseases, enteric fever (typhoid), viral hepatitis, cholera and acute encephalitis.

So it doesn’t matter whether you’re a new Bangalorean who’s fallen in love with this city, like me, or an old Bangalorean filled with pride for the city, your situation is as pitiful as mine. And believe me, it’s just going to get worse, and I haven’t even talked about the disappearing lakes, like T S Sudhir has.