Not a drop to drink

Not a drop to drink
Water taps have gone dry and the BWSSB is hapless. As chaos reigns, private water tanker suppliers are ruling the roost. They charge heavily for water which doesn’t meet stipulated standards.

The Times of India


It is 6 am. The alarm clock jolts Videesh Patil, a resident of C V Raman Nagar, out of his slumber. He has a conference call with his US counterparts and has to log into his office by 7.30 am. After the morning cuppa, he ventures into the bathroom and comes out fuming: “There is no water even today. Call the water tanker guy.’’
After a brief call, the tanker arrives at his place in 30 minutes. Even before the attendant gets down, the driver says, “Have you negotiated the rate? I don’t want to argue with you early in the morning. Rs 450 — it’s a 4,500-litre tanker. If you agree, I’ll pull out the pipe.’’ Videesh doesn’t have an option as this isn’t the first time he’s made this call. The only difference is that the supplier is different and the rate is more than double the earlier price.
Pouring out his woes, he says, “These guys are fleecing us. There is no check at all. About six months ago, the suppliers revised the rates. And now, they have hiked them again. We cannot depend on the BWSSB as it has lost its credibility. If you call its tanker, that will only reach us the next day, that too after hundreds of calls.”
A supplier says, “We normally charge Rs 275 for a 4,500-litre tanker and Rs 375 for a 7,500-litre tanker. Now, we ask for Rs 400 and Rs 600. There is a high demand for water; we are not able to meet the demand. It’s quite simple— if demand is high and supply is less, the price is high.’’
He doesn’t want to be identified because members of his fraternity will rebuke him. This fraternity used to be unorganised but has become highly organised now. There are no regulations on conduct or pricing. Given the grim water situation, they have even formed a lobby.
The fall-out is deadly. Suppliers shouldn’t crisscross areas, not charge less than Rs 400 per load. The lobby keeps a list of regular customers and asks them to contact the supplier for that particular area.
Bupendra Reddy, a private water supplier in Indiranagar, says: “We are doing social service by providing water at such a low cost. There may be some who charge exorbitantly in peripheral areas to make a fast buck but we don’t indulge in such activities. As the operational cost is high, we charge Rs 50 to Rs 100 extra, that too if the customer’s house is far.’’
Adarsh Pete, a techie who lives in Marathalli, “The summer has just set in. If this is the situation now, I wonder how we’ll manage in May. I pay almost Rs 3,000 per month for water and we are at the mercy of private water tanker operators. It is the primary responsibility of the government to provide basic amenities like water and roads, at least in the state’s capital. We pay so many taxes and as if that was not enough, the latest BBMP budget has levied additional cesses.’’
BWSSB authorities throw up their hands in despair: “We cannot regulate private water suppliers. It doesn’t come under our jurisdiction. We can only keep a check on them against contaminated water. We cannot do anything else apart from this. Only legislation or a new rule to this effect can bring some order here.’’
The sources said meeting the demand in 100 wards was not an issue. “We are facing problems in providing water to Sanjaynagar, RT Nagar, HRBR Layout and some other areas in the north and east of Bangalore. We utilise 100 MLD from the south and west of the city to supply water to areas where there is scarcity,’’ added the officials.
Looks like it’s going to be a long and expensive summer.
Who gets free water by tanker?
There are 50 BWSSB tankers, each with a capacity of 6,000 litres. Each tanker makes five to six trips daily. That puts the daily demand at 18 lakh litres. However, a household is entitled to free water only if the entire locality has been deprived of regular water supply (piped) owing to a technical snag. “If there is a problem in the entire area, we supply free water. However, one needs to pay Rs 250 per tanker for additional requirements,” explained a BWSSB official.
How to summon a water tanker from BWSSB?
Citizens can avail of BWSSB water supply by calling the assistant executive engineer or the executive engineer of their areas. Pay up at the head office or the divisional office. Call 22945114.
How safe is tanker water?
BWSSB has designated filling stations across the city, where water samples are collected and tested daily. However, the quality of water supplied by private parties is a big question mark. The sources or filling stations are unknown and in many cases, they could be filling up from contaminated borewells. The BWSSB collects 100 samples from different localities and 240 samples from the service stations daily. Most private operators fill up their tankers from borewells and if the source is closer to the valleys, there is every possibility of bacterial contamination.
What about water quality testing?
The BWSSB has asked citizens to get water samples tested from time to time. If you notice discolouration of water, immediately alert the BWSSB and get the sample tested at any of the facilities — BWSSB water testing Lab, High Grounds for a fee of Rs 50 per sample; Karnataka Pollution Control Board Laboratory and Public Health Lab near Anand Rao Circle.
Why is there no legislation?
There is no legislation to keep tabs on private water tankers. The BWSSB contends that there is no legal provision for it to monitor the private water supply, not even to check the water quality. It passes the buck on to the mines and geology department which also throws up its hands, saying “The legislation to check indiscriminate drilling of borewells and private water tankers has still not been approved.’’
What’s the contingency plan?
Last April, the output of water from Tippagondanahalli reservoir was 110 MLD. This year, TG Halli is turning out hardly 30 MLD, which explains the severe water crisis in parts of Bangalore North and East.
A meeting of senior BWSSB officials last week mooted a contingency plan — to give respite to water-starved areas in parts of Bangalore including RT Nagar, Sanjaynagar, Sultanpalya, HRBR Layout, DJ Halli and Banaswadi as the poor monsoon in 2006 left the reservoir dry. The catchment of TG Halli is the Arkavathy river which flows from Nandi Hills. Poor rainfall has been a major setback this year.
Curtail bulk water supply to industries by 10%.
Increase fleet of water tankers; introduce double shift for tankers.
Divert 10-15% of water from Cauvery Stage IV by valve operation at Gubbalala Point in Bangalore South.
Boost mini water supply by additional linking and pumping.
Repair defunct borewells — 20% of the 6,250 existing borewells are defunct.
Employ additional valve operators.
TIPS
Boil drinking water before use; filtering is also a good option. Chlorinate your storage tanks. Clean your overhead tanks and sumps at regular intervals. Buy water from designated tanker operators.