Good rainfall in Tiruchi and surroundings during the monsoon season last year has apparently lowered demand for drinking water supplied by private operators through tanker lorries.
This is the time of the year when the tanker lorry operators used to have their hands full, with hospitals, hostels of educational institutions and apartments making a beeline for meeting daily water needs.
"This time around, the demand is confined to small-scale builders. Though educational institutions have opened the hostels, the demand for water for drinking and domestic purposes has not yet increased, which implies adequacy of ground water owing to the heavy rainfall," a tanker operator said.
This time around, due to the escalation in the price of diesel has also affected the operators. The fuel expenditure accounts for a major chunk of the supply cost, he said.
For the tanker water suppliers, the availability of water in the major tanks and lakes is an indicator for the robustness or shrinkage of business.
In Tiruchi city and surroundings, the Gundur Periyakulam and Tiruverumbur Periyakulam for instance continue to hold substantial water even a month after onset of summer.
In all likelihood, the ground water in the surroundings will suffice for the localities in the radius of a few kilometres for the entire summer season, another water supplier said.
During October-November, the rainfall in Tiruchi and surroundings was much above the average precipitation, and during December, the rainfall intensity was such that an orange alert had to be issued.
Water suppliers who extract water at Kondayampettai say things have turned quite tough for them. No Objection Certificate for ground water extraction is being considered only in areas where the TWAD Board or the civic body is unable to supply adequate extent of water,they said.
