Tankers struggling to meet demand as water sources dry up in Kochi
KOCHI: With the onset of summer, the common sight one gets to see is the rush of the water tankers. The months of March, April and May is a busy time for the operators of water tankers. However, this year, due to polls, school holidays and the directive regarding working hours at construction sites, the demand has been lesser compared to the last year. Strict monitoring by the Food Safety Department, municipalities and the district administration has also helped weed out errant suppliers. However, sourcing water is becoming a problem for the water tanker operators. "We are sourcing water from the abandoned quarries, wells and other water bodies which have been tested and approved by the civic bodies. However, these sources are not enough to meet even the reduced demand and we have to travel to distant places to procure water," said Manoj A G, owner of Fresh Water.
According to Ramachandran, secretary, Ernakulam District Drinking Water Transporters Welfare Association, the tanker operators have been restricted from procuring water from in and around Aluva. "This will impede the supply system since we used to collect a large portion for supply in the city from Aluva. We have been asked by the Municipality to get approval from the groundwater authority," he said.
He added, "We had a meeting with the municipal authorities and presented the problems being faced by us. However, no solution has been arrived at. If this situation continues, then water supply to residential and commercial areas will be disrupted." We have no opposition to the rules governing the transport of water. We are ready to accept any guidelines, but not archaic rules like this," he said.
However, according to a municipal officer, the decision was taken after it came to the civic body's notice that water is being sourced from the waterbodies without any control. "The District Collector had convened a meeting in which he had directed the groundwater authority to monitor water collection by the tankers. This was to prevent overuse and hence depletion of groundwater," he said.
According to Rangadasa Prabhu, president, Ernakulam District Residents Association Apex Council, the water scarcity is severe in various areas. "If anything hinders the supply of water via tankers, then many areas will face difficulties. Another problem the residents face is about the quality of water. Of course, the Food Safety Department is inspecting the sources from where the tankers procure water. But, we need a monitoring system to ensure that the vehicles being used are specifically the ones meant for transporting potable water," he said.