The drinking water unit at the KSRTC bus stand in Chikkamagaluru is defunct at a time when there is a necessity of drinking water for people.
The passengers are now left with no other choice than to purchase water bottles.
A total of 1,000 buses ferry passengers from Chikkamagaluru KSRTC bus stand and 50,000 passengers travel in these buses daily.
The bus stand is always crowded as the connecting buses ferry people to various places of religious importance such as Dharmasthala, Subrahmanya, Sringeri, Kalasa and Horanadu.
But the free drinking water unit at the bus stand is defunct from the last three months and there is a shortage of water for people. Some people go to hotels to drink water and other purchase water bottles.
The temperature in the city has risen to 36 degree Celsius. People who are not aware of the defunct water unit get disappointed without getting water and curse the elected representatives and officials.
"Students too have been the victims of the irregularity. Around 4,000 students who come to their schools and colleges in Chikkamagaluru from rural areas depend upon KSRTC buses. At the bus stand, they try to quench their thirst using the drinking water facility. But, they are disappointed. If they ask the hoteliers for drinking water, abuses are hurled at them. The officials concerned should take immediate steps to repair the drinking water unit," ABVP district unit convener Shashi Alduru said.
Chandrashekhar, an employee working in a private firm said that the weather has turned harsh and everyone goes out in the sun gets thirsty soon.
However, there is no free drinking water in the bus stand. Therefore, we have to buy water while travelling, he said.