The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Private water tankers make a killing

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Friday, Jul 18, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Private water tankers make a killing

With water board tankers taking too long, people are forced to call up private tankers

A 5,000-litre tanker costs between Rs. 550 and Rs. 750
Heavy demand for private tankers on the city outskirts

PHOTO: P. V. Sivakumar

TIGHT SCHEDULE: Private water tankers waiting to be filled up in Nampally.

HYDERABAD: The demand for drinking water has reached such an extent in the twin cities that even private water tankers, known for their swiftness, can’t deliver at the doorstep in a day, unless booked two-days in advance.

Delay in rains has led to a situation where the groundwater is being ‘used-up’ by borewells for private water tankers leading to spiralling costs.

A 5,000-litre water tanker, which normally costs Rs. 300 to Rs. 350 during off-season, is going for Rs. 550 and in some cases even up to Rs. 750.

Despite high rates, the demand for a private tanker is huge on the city outskirts that include places like L.B. Nagar, Kapra, Kushaiguda, Nagaram and Saroornagar.

Advance booking

“You have to book the tanker at least a day in advance. We are overworked because of the demand. Power cuts have forced us to fill tankers during mornings or late nights and because of diesel shortage, we are catering to customers, who are within 3 to 4 km of Kushaiguda,” says T. Surender Reddy, a water tanker owner.

Three borewells can be seen working overtime drawing groundwater and filling the tankers in the lane besides Hyundai showroom at Kushaiguda. A few more domestic borewells on the back side of Kapra Lake are being used incessantly to draw groundwater for domestic and commercial use.

Huge rush

“Water board’s tankers take too long to arrive because of the heavy demand. It took five days for the board’s tanker to arrive here. That’s why we have opted for a private one. Although costly, at least they are delivering within two days,” says P. Madhusudhan at H.B. Colony, Kapra.

Apart from the outskirts, there are traditional ‘hotspots’ within city, which continue to be safe havens for drawing groundwater for commercial use.

In Nampally, the lane besides Gandhi Bhavan, Trimulgherry area near Jayalakshmi Gardens and Amberpet are a few places witnessing unhindered groundwater exploitation.

High rates quoted

“We can’t even lodge a complaint with authorities because we are forced to use them ourselves. The water board should have an extensive network of tankers because the private tanker owners are quoting rates based on their whims and fancies,” says T. Umamaheshwar Rao, secretary of Snehapuri Colony Association, Nacharam.

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