HYDERABAD: With several instances of misuse of hired water tankers by their private owners coming to its notice, the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board is going to install automatic vehicle tracking system (AVTS) in all 600 water tankers hired by it and running daily in Greater Hyderabad.
The board, which supplies potable water by tankers in various localities, has been receiving complaints from consumers about delay and improper supply by tanker owners.
With AVTS, Water Board hopes of reducing a number of complaints like selling water to commercial establishments at exorbitant price instead of supplying it to a person who booked the tanker.
From the water filling station to their destination where the water would be supplied, HMWS&SB will closely monitor the movement of the tankers and also the level of water in the tanker through GPS.
A few months ago HMWS&SB proposed to install AVTS, a GPS/GPRS-based device to track the vehicles and check water theft by private tanker owners. The purpose is to the check the movement of tankers used for water transport to the designated points.
HMWS&SB proposed monitoring of vehicle movement by fitting every tanker with GPS-based tracking device with online data transfer facility. To start with, 600 tankers hired by HMWS&SB will be fitted with AVTS. A Delhi-based private firm will install the device which costs ` 5,000 a piece, and the process of installing the system in 600 will be completed in one month. In case of malfunctioning, the tamperproof device will be replaced by the implementing agency after inspection.
AVTS keeps a close tab on the movement of tanker. If a tanker stops at a location and the water level in it recedes, it will send signals to board officials. Thus, any theft of water can be detected. The system provides us information on how much time a tanker stops at a particular location and how much water is pumped out during its stoppage.
"Any mischief played tanker owners can be detected immediately through the tracking system and action would be taken against such such people by terminating their agreement," HMWS&SB officials said.