Southern States - Karnataka-Bangalore   

Business thriving for owners of borewells, tankers

By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE April 11. The sale of water as a commercial activity is thriving in Bangalore, and private enterprise is finding innovative ways of exploiting the demand for this vital resource that seems no longer freely accessible to all.

A year ago, the Residents' Welfare Association of AECS I Stage, Sanjaynagar, which has about 150 houses, warned of the dangers of allowing the sale of borewell water. But borewell and tanker owners are laughing all the way to the bank — no matter that the water table is depleting at an alarming rate, and the quality of water is nothing to write home about.

Last May, the association President, V. Sathyamurthy, wrote to the Commissioner of the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike, with details of the disastrous consequences of the failure to regulate the digging of borewells by private citizens, and also the sale of borewell water. In his study and analysis of the situation, Mr. Sathyamurthy noted that some people had borewells at their homes to supplement supply from the BWSSB. There were those who sunk borewells and invested in tankers with the intention of selling water. Another kind of people in the "water trade'' had borewells and supplied water to those who had tankers. The charges were between Rs. 200 to Rs. 300 for domestic and commercial establishments, Mr. Sathyamurthy noted.

As supply from the BWSSB is likely to be erratic in summer, business is hot, and the return on investment (in prospecting and digging borewells) is most satisfactory.

Although Mr. Sathyamurthy is yet to get a response from the BMP, sources say that private water-suppliers are expected to obtain licence and a certificate from the BMP Health Officer for safety and quality of water. Lately, with water shortage becoming acute, there are several complaints, and there are reports of inspection of facilities and cancellation of a few licences.

But Mr. Sathyamurthy is not impressed. The residents' association was recently feted as one of the best in the City, and Mr. Sathyamurthy says it is no thanks to the authorities.

Ironically, the situation has worsened this year, and the hectic movement of tankers at all hours of day and night is disturbing the calm and peace of the neighbourhood. Mr. Sathyamurthy says now there were three water suppliers in the neighbourhood. They use shortcuts through the locality, which has narrow lanes that curve and bend. The tankers are driven at breakneck speed, with blaring horns, with not a thought for residents, their health, age, or the fact that children may be playing on the streets. Now the residents fear that with 40 borewells in their part of the city going dry, those that continue to yield water will draw more suppliers.

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