Date:18/07/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/07/18/stories/2008071858630300.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Board unable to meet tanker demand

J.S. Ifthekhar

Nearly 500 requests for water tankers pour in every day from consumers

Consumers not getting suppy even after 48 hours
Power cuts compounding woes of the board

Hyderabad: With the dry spell continuing, the demand for water tankers has shot up in the twin cities.

On an average nearly 450 to 500 requests for water tankers are pouring in at the Metro Customer Care Centre (phone 155313) of the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board every day.

But those booking tankers through the MCCC are getting a shock of their life. They are not getting supplies even after 48 hours.

Clearly the Board is unable to meet the demand. Till now during this month the number of bookings has touched 10,000 while the figure during July last year was just 3,000.

The Board is supposed to supply water within 10 hours of booking but the waiting period is now stretching beyond three to four days. The backlog keeps swelling with 2,000 persons waiting to get a tanker. The harried consumers are forced to turn to the private tankers for immediate supply by shelling down an exorbitant price.

Interestingly, the tank operators are making a killing. Those who are prepared to cough up more than the prescribed Rs. 250 for the 5,000 litres are served first.

A large number of bookings are mainly from division VI, VII and IX comprising the areas of Secunderabad, Kukatpally, Banjara Hills, Ameerpet and Somajiguda. In most cases tankers are being booked two to three days in advance. These areas are dotted with apartment complexes and with the groundwater table going down bore wells here have gone dry. “This is what has fuelled the demand for water tankers,” says Board’s Managing Director G. Asok Kumar.

Another reason for the Board not being able to meet the demand is the frequent power cuts. When there is a power cut at the reservoir water cannot be drawn and when water is available, power failure at the pumping stations makes it impossible to fill the tankers. “These are practical problems. We have requested the CPDCL to ensure uninterrupted power supply to pumping stations,” Mr. Kumar said.

Generators

He assured that the tanker supply would be streamlined within two days. Meanwhile, the Board is also planning to install generators at the pumping stations to overcome the power problem.