For the past few weeks, the city has been witnessing a repeat of 2003 and 2004 when tankers criss-crossed the city roads day and night to offset the shortfall in piped water supply.
Chennai Metrowater has increased the number of tanker trips to 4,000 daily to supply tail-end areas. The number of trips on payment is also on the rise. However, residents of some areas have been complaining of delays in obtaining tanker trips on payment.
Meanwhile, city residents are seeking more private tankers as the sweltering heat tightens its grip over Chennai. There are over 1,000 private tankers supplying residential, commercial and IT areas. These lorries mainly source water from Poonamallee, Red Hills and the Ambattur belt to supply the northern and central parts of Chennai and also from Ponmar-Navalur belt to cater to south Chennai, particularly the IT hub along Rajiv Gandhi Salai.
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Private tanker operators noted that the demand has gone up by five to 10 per cent over the past one month, mainly from large apartment complexes and construction sites.
P.S. Sundaram, president of Chennai Private Water Tanker Owners Association, said private lorries are operating over 3,000 trips daily. Sourcing water is becoming difficult because of the demand and dipping groundwater level. There is a slight delay in delivering water to customers as lorries wait for a few hours to fetch water from borewells.
“Borewell operators have increased the cost of water by 20 per cent. But, we cannot pass on the burden to customers immediately because of competition,” he said.
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