Private water tanker mafia make a killing off Ggn’s water crisis

Residents say that private tankers charge Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500 to fill one water tank; sometimes, the tanks are not even completely filled

GURUGRAM: With water supply shortage and low pressure being a recurrent problem in Millennium City, there have been frequent complaints from various residents about private water tankers charging exorbitant sums from them.

The situation often turns particularly bad during peak summer, especially between May and June.

However, this year, large parts of the city have been facing a serious crisis even before April began, as water pipelines are being shifted due to development works being undertaken in the city.

Residents say that private tankers are charging as much as Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500 to fill just one water tank.

There have also been complaints that most private tankers do not fill the complete tanker even after charging such exorbitant rates on the pretext of water shortage.

Large parts of the city – including as Sector 22, 23, 56, 54, Sushant Lok, South City and some phases of DLF – have been facing such a water crisis for a long time.

“Over the years, the tanker mafia has only become strengthened in the city. It is expected to strengthen further with no emphasis paid by public agencies towards enhancing the water supply infrastructure in the city," said Ravinder Yadav, a resident of Sector 22

Yadav said that the peak summer season of May and June results in a water crisis across different parts of the city. Breakages of water pipelines and lack of power to electric pumps are some of the major factors that worsen the water crisis in the city.

"Amid all these problems, the business of private tankers has only thrived in the city,” Yadav rued.

“Today, residents are conscious that they are being fleeced by the private tankers, but they cannot do anything as water is an essential commodity. Most of the private tankers harass residents by not coming on time or not coming at all and filling only half the tankers and get away with it,” Yadav pointed out.

DLF City resident Rama Jain said: “In the past, the private builders used to provide free supply of water during such hours of crisis. However, in the recent past, even builders have stopped supplying water to us, which is forcing us to be dependent on private water tanker sharks.”

The AAP government was on Tuesday told by the Delhi High Court to "lead by example" to prevent rise in vector-borne diseases so that dengue and chikungunya outbreaks do not recur this year.

"Let this year be not a repeat of what has happened in the past," a bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice Anu Malhotra said and asked the AAP government to "lead by example".

"One expression comes to mind - lead by example and others will follow," the bench told the Delhi government lawyer after he said that all the authorities need to sit together to solve this problem. We can be at loggerheads over anything else but not on public health," it added.

The bench said it was a "worrisome" issue as several lives were lost due to the ailments.