Private tankers to the rescue of BWSSB

The shortage of water to the tune of 500 million litres a day has compelled the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) to seek the help of private tankers.

The water body’s woes are augmented with the undergoing work on the second phase of the Cauvery 4th stage project and the supply crisis prevailing in over 100 wards.

The result is the barrage of complaints on shortage of water.

The BWSSB, which laid 3,200 km of pipes in the municipal corporation limits at an approximate cost of Rs537 crore, is able to supply water only till 1,000 km, covering 100 wards of the city. Rest of the wards depend on borewells and private tankers. The crisis becomes severe during the summer, said a BWSSB official.

In an attempt to tackle the crisis, the water body has issued tenders, inviting private tanker owners to supply Cauvery water to these wards.

The first tender for North division has already been issued. With 20 private tankers needed for each ward, the BWSSB is looking at hiring 80 tankers for the purpose. Each tanker is expected to carry about 30 kilo litres of water and make five to six trips a day.

The BWSSB is willing to pay Rs1500-Rs 2000 daily as rent to the tanker owners. Eighty tankers will supply approximately 2.4 lakh litres of water a day. The BWSSB will bear an estimated cost of Rs1.5 lakh everyday for this facility.

Officials from the BWSSB, without revealing much details, said there will be a system to monitor the hired tankers.

The BWSSB will soon release the tenders for the South, West and East divisions after the completion of the tender for the northern region.

People in the localities where there is a water crisis need to inform the assistant engineer of their ward. Officials will then get in touch with the respective contractor to send a tanker to the the locality.