Spot a queue of private water tanker lorries at a Metro Water filling point? Chances are that they are there because of a formula Metro Water has just evolved to address concerns of private water tankers over curbs in extracting groundwater.
According to a Metro Water release issued on Saturday, private tankers hired by domestic and commercial consumers could utilise its filling points after paying Rs 40 per 1,000 litres for domestic and Rs 60 for for commercial purposes.
A section of private water tankers had gone on strike earlier this week demanding regularisation of norms for groundwater extraction after two water lorries were seized for transporting non-potable water. Private tankers draw water from borewells areas like Medavakkam, Ambattur and Madhavaram. They had demanded that the government allow them to tap water from licensed borewells to prevent indiscriminate extraction. It is in this context that Metro Water has allowed them to use its filling points.
A Metro Water spokesman said the department is already supplying water to domestic consumers using hired tankers through its ‘dial for water’ scheme at a rate of Rs 400 per load of 6,000 litres and at Rs 600 per load of 9,000 litres. Similarly, commercial consumers pay Rs 510 per load of 6,000 litres and Rs 765 per load of 9,000 litres. The new scheme is over and above the existing one.