Bengaluru Water Contamination Scare: BWSSB Halts Supply to Lingarajapuram Over Contamination Fears

Bengaluru, January 5: The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) has suspended water supply to several blocks in Lingarajapuram after residents reported that sewage had contaminated the drinking water network. The decision was made as a precautionary measure on Monday morning, January 5, after black, foul-smelling water began flowing from domestic taps in the locality. 

The issue came to light when residents of Janakiram Layout and surrounding streets noticed a drastic change in the quality of the water being pumped into their sumps. Fearing the spread of waterborne diseases, the local community alerted the BWSSB, prompting an immediate halt to the supply. Preliminary investigations suggest that a leak in an aging sewage line may have seeped into the primary drinking water conduit due to structural wear or recent excavation work in the area. Typhoid Outbreak in Gandhinagar: Over 100 Hospitalised Due to Contaminated Water in Gujarat, Health Advisory Issued.

BWSSB engineers have been deployed to the affected streets to conduct "point-to-point" testing of the pipelines. According to board officials, the supply will remain suspended until the source of the leakage is plugged and the lines are thoroughly flushed. "Our priority is to ensure that no contaminated water reaches households. We are currently digging up suspected sections of the line to replace damaged pipes," a senior BWSSB official stated.

To mitigate the inconvenience caused by the shutdown, the board has made arrangements to provide water via tankers to the affected residents. However, locals have expressed concerns over the adequacy of these temporary measures, noting that the demand in the densely populated neighborhood far exceeds the current tanker capacity. Indore Water Crisis: Residents of Bakery Gali Claim Using Contaminated, Insect-Infested Water.

The sudden suspension has disrupted daily life for hundreds of families. Residents reported that the water was visibly unfit for any domestic use, including washing or cleaning. "The water was pitch black and smelled like open sewage. We had to empty and scrub our sumps immediately to prevent the sludge from settling," said a resident.

Lingarajapuram, like many older neighborhoods in Bengaluru’s eastern suburbs, faces ongoing challenges with its aging sanitation infrastructure. The proximity of water and sewage lines, often laid decades ago, increases the risk of cross-contamination when pipes corrode or are damaged during road or fiber-optic cable works.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 05, 2026 01:41 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).