Mumbai: Despite higher water levels in dams across the state as compared to last year, the number of tankers being used to supply water in villages and hamlets is on rise with soaring temperatures.
According to data from Water Supply and Sanitation Department, as on May 7, the total number of tankers being used in the state was 1,164 of which 888 were private while 276 were from the government.
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Local administration
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District collectors have the right to deploy water tankers as and when needed in case of water scarcity. The rates for a private tanker, each with a capacity of 10,000 litres vary from ₹600 to 1200 depending on the distance it has to cover from the source of water to the destination.
Last year during same period, the total number of tankers being used was 998, supplying water to 1,034 villages and 2,586 hamlets.
This year, Aurangabad division (Marathwada region) has, as of May 8, deployed the highest number of tankers. The division has 646 tankers (587 private and 59 government) in 511 villages and 87 hamlets. Amaravati division in Vidarbha region ranks second in terms of tanker use with 202 currently being deployed.
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Drastic fall
“One should compare the numbers not only with last year, but also with those from two or three years back. The number of tankers being used has been reduced drastically. Various government schemes, including Jalyukta Shiwar have proved effective,” said an officer from the Water Supply and Sanitation Department.
As government claims the success of various schemes, the number of tankers in use remains high despite water storage percentage in dams across all six divisions in the state being higher than in 2017. As on May 11, 2018 the percentage of total water available for use from various dams is 27.64% compared to 21.04% in 2017. All the regions, except Amaravati division, have more water stored in the dams compared to that in 2017.