And You think it happens only in Dwarka.............
Arun Banerjee
Parched Delhi is at the mercy of the tanker mafia which is flourishing with audacity
By SUHAS MUNSHI, dailymail.co.uk
PUBLISHED: 21:16 GMT, 23 May 2013 | UPDATED: 21:33 GMT, 23 May 2013
Private water tankers are growing into a multi-crore business
With the gap between potable water demand and supply widening, the business of private water tankers is flourishing in the Capital.
Private water tankers are now feeding the huge demands of multinational companies, institutions and group housing societies - sometimes through illegal borings.
The people, instead of relying on the notoriously slow and allegedly paid service of Delhi Jal Board (DJB) tankers, opt for private tankers as they can deliver water anywhere in the city within half an hour.
With temperatures regularly breaching the 45-degree mark and water consumption figures shooting up to 400 liters per capita per day in the upscale areas of Delhi, private water tankers are growing into a multi-crore business.
Defying all norms meant to control the extraction and supply of water, the 'water cartel' operates with alarming levels of sophistication and audacity.
A MAIL TODAY investigation unearthed the working of mafia that controls this underground supply of water.
Extremely high wattage, illegal submersible pumps were found to be draining water out of the Yamuna river bed, from residential colonies, even from the premises of a Trust located in a VIP area, to supply it to the private tankers.
While the DJB is not issuing new permits for water borings, and claims to strictly monitor the existing borings to see they are not exploited commercially, several such points are easily accessible throughout the city.
The people running these illegal watering holes operate in demarcated areas and share the hours and accordingly the revenues. Some of the pumps installed in the Yamuna river bed work during the day, while others during the night to avoid attention.
While the DJB accepts that their water supply may be short of demand, it says private citizens using motor pumps are creating an undesirable practice.
"Our sources of water are limited. But we can make a progress if residents stop the practice of installing pumps and drawing out the water meant for others. We are trying to modernize our systems meanwhile," said Sanjam Cheema, spokesperson, DJB.
The water supply agency has been trying to 'modernize' itself for past several years.
The moves like installation of SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) and GPS in DJB water tankers, to prevent theft of water, were announced more than three years ago but have yet not been implemented fully.
The residents in many parts of the Capital are angry over the shortage of water supply. "What does the agency mean by blaming us for installing pumps. If DJB's own supply was enough, why would we install pumps and bear their electricity costs at our own expense...
"We are forced to take measures like these and call for water tankers when our official agency fails us," said Rajiv Kakria, member, Greater Kailash RWA.
Arun Banerjee
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Date: Fri, 24 May 2013 10:31:53 +0530
Subject: [Dwarka Forum] And You think it happens only in Dwarka.............
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raminder.sahota
It is irony that, we all not able to compel the Govt to provide us water through the DJB. The cost of all tankers should be pooled by DJB and bear the cost.
Why the private operators are able to provide and the Govt is not able to provide the same water. We are prepared to pay the cost and I am sure that we are paying the money to the tankers, which in turn goes to many other agencies to allow the tankers to supply the water. Lets think over and bring out a method to compel our elected representatives and bureaucracy to provide us water.
Ramiinder Singh Sahota