With residents refilling more than three drinking water cans at the community drinking water centres resulting in long queues, the corporation has allowed only two refilling for each recharge card from Friday.
As many as 20 centres, operated by a private company, function in the civic body limits providing drinking water to the residents every day. Residents can purchase prepaid recharge cards using which they can refill a 20-litre can that costs ₹7 at the centre.
The centres were functioning from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. and after the lockdown was imposed, it functioned from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m.
Due to time restrictions, and refilling of more than three cans by many residents, long queues were seen outside the centres turning the spots to be a place for spread of the virus. Since, private companies were not supplying cans regularly during the lockdown, the crowd at the centres kept increasing in the past four days.
Hence, the civic body had made changes in the system from Friday that enables a cardholder to refill only two cans a day.
Corporation Commissioner M. Elangovan told The Hindu that the demand for refilling water cans had gone up during the lockdown and hence, the new system was introduced from Friday. “One can refill the water until it is available for the day”, he said and added that the system prevents waiting time of people and gathering in large numbers.
