“He is a caterer, he needs that place to cook and park his vehicle. Therefore he is creating a problem”, it is the opinion of youths from BM layout in KGhalli ward no.30, Bangalore.
KG Halli ward No.30 is located in Bangalore North, with the population of 45000. Findings of baseline survey says 73% of the family do not have tap at home, they depend on other water sources like bore well street tap and tanker etc. To improve water source in this area UHT (Urban Health Team) have planned to strengthen water facility. In consultation with community and local counselor we decided to install 5 Ciston tank each in five areas of KGHalli (AKcolony-1, BM Slum-2, BM layout-1 and Venkateshpura-1). Although we had planned five Ciston, we were able to construct only three Ciston tank.
Construction of water tanks are in progress in identified places. There has been no objection in three places. But team faced problem in two places, we have been asked to stop construction work in both the places namely AK colony and BM layout. Thus any program becomes failure if community does not take lead or if local rowdy element is controlling the community.
Construction of water tank is failure in AK colony
In AK colony the place identified is almost an adjacent to the wall of a house. The house owner objected the construction of water tank. People did not come to our aid or tried to identify another place to install the tank. The point here is how can community let go a basic facility (water) when it has been taken to their door step?
In BM layout we found individual V/S community.
A team of construction workers had already started construction (basement of two feet height) in an identified area in BM layout. When construction is on Nazeer picked up quarrel with the construction workers and did not allow them to continue their work. Nazeer (Caterer) is not an owner of the house but he is a tenant residing in that house. Community member have taken permission from the owner to construct water tank in front of his house.
Despite consultation with community, counselor and permission from the owner, in a public place we could not construct water tank. The reason behind the failure of water tank construction is a local politics. He is being a caterer he wanted to utilize the space for cooking and parking his vehicle. It is hard to fight when the fight is ending on injustice note, few community member especially youths came forward to support the construction of water tank. Their effort became fruitless when Nazeer brought the local rowdies to hush up youths by manhandling them.
We called counselor and BBMP official, everything became futile. None of them want to side the community for an issue of basic amenity.
UHT witnessed the fight between Nazeer and youths, we felt we were helpless when youths were beaten up and construction was stopped. This incidence kept on haunting me for several days, because community has been deprived from basic facility. Is community gullible or do not want to take any effort to protest against injustice happening to them? Is community scared of local rowdies? Is that particular area ruled by local rowdies/unofficial elected leaders? When construction of tank happened in other three areas successfully why not here?
As an outsider we cannot protest on behalf of community, our role is only to facilitate the program. May be the lesson for us is we must have mapped who control’s that area other than counselor or political leader, what is the strength and weakness of the community before the construction of water tank.
