KOCHI: Henceforth, keeping tabs on the tanker lorries which ferry potable water here will be a less taxing affair, thanks to the district administration’s move to equip them with the Global Positioning System(GPS)devices.
With the authorities starting to implement this from Sunday, there will be a tangible improvement in the quality of the service offered by the private firms.
A major advantage of the new system is it enables the people’s representatives as well as the public to easily monitor the movement of the tanker lorries. The district administration came up with the idea following complaints from the public regarding the appalling quality of the water distributed by the tankers.
According to District Collector K Mohammed Y Safirulla, who devised the plan, “The project chiefly aims to keep tabs on two things--the quality of the water distributed by the tankers and the distribution network. Using this software we can clearly track the source of origin-- from where the tankers procure water for distribution. Since we will get to know the route along which the tankers ply, it can facilitate timely distribution to the public”.
“ Besides, it will ensure accountability on the part of the tanker lorries. The fare can be easily gauged by just logging into the software or to the web platform: www.7systrack.in. At present, the local bodies such as Amballoor, Edakkattuvayal, Mulanthuruthy, Mukkannoor, Puthanvelikkara, Chellanam, Piravom, Nellikkuzhi and Kottapady come under the system,” he said.
However, it will be a while before the GPS devices are installed in over 100 vehicles. In fact, the project is being financed by the district administration.
“This can be downloaded from Google Play store by searching the keyword ‘TRACK’ or by logging into www.7systrack.in. For getting the user ID and password, the users need to give a missed call to 9061518888 and the user ID and the password will be available on the mobile number,” said the District Collector.
Additionally, the district administration set up a complaint cell to resolve the issues related to potable water. The public can call up the landline: 0484 2423513 or WhatsApp the complaints to 9061518888.