After linking tanker bills with data generated by the Global Positioning System (GPS) devices, the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) in a bid to curb distribution of unhygienic water has cracked the whip on erring private tanker operators who are playing with the health of citizens in the twin-city. It should be noted that the MBMC deploys a private contractor for hiring 10,000 litre carriers to transport water from the tanker filling point in Bhayandar (east) to various destinations across the twin-city.
While Rs.1000 is charged per tanker from the end user, the private operator gets around Rs.600 per trip. While slum dwellers and those sans water connections are charged Rs. 500 per tanker, religious places and tribal hamlets get free water tankers in accordance to a resolution passed by the erstwhile general body of the MBMC.
However, owing to shortage, the demand surges during the peak summer season, leaving residents at the mercy of unregulated suppliers and compromised water quality.
Civic Administration To Monitor Private Water Suppliers And Enforce Guidelines
Taking a serious note of the issue, the civic administration has finally decided to monitor private water suppliers and enforce guidelines on pricing, quality testing and licensing. One of the most concerning aspects is the lack of clarity regarding the source, as unregulated tankers tend to draw water from borewells and sell it at cheaper rates intensifying the potential of contamination. “As a part of a drive to ensure that hygienic potable water reaches the end users, special teams have been deputed to collect samples and send them for lab testing. Those operators who qualify the test will be allowed to ferry water, others will face stringent action.” said a senior MBMC officer.
Need For Oversight And Innovation In Water Supply Monitoring
So far there was no mechanism in place to keep a tab on the activities of the water tanker operators, leaving consumers in the dark about the safety of the water they are receiving. Notably, hundreds of smaller vehicles other than tankers-mainly delivery tempos have been redesigned to turn them into water carriers. Meanwhile the MBMC has started issuing notices to tanker operators so that they comply with the guidelines.
