Landlords in new areas added to the city have adopted innovative ways to attract tenants. They buy tanker water, store it in sumps, pump it to overhead tanks and supply it to their tenants. But this of course comes at a price — 12 to 14 paise a litre.
And to measure the quantity of water used by each tenant, the landlords have installed meters either in the kitchen or bathroom of the rented house. “We calculate the consumption at the end of the month and collect the charges. We are doing this on a no-profit, no-loss basis,” claimed M. Raja, who has let out nine houses in his building in New Mico Layout.
He said this was the only way landlords could attract tenants. “The tenants do not mind paying if there is 24-hour supply. It is a win-win situation for both. If they have to pay, the tenants will use water judiciously,” he said. There are some landlords who get their sumps filled with water from community borewells (in connivance with valvemen) and sell it to their tenants, which is illegal.
