The Hindu 02.08.2012
Water tankers bridge the deficit
The demand-supply gap for water of about 50 per cent, is met by over 400 water tanker lorries operating in the district.Till
the Kerala Water Authority (KWA) augments the water supply in the
Corporation and nearby areas, many have to depend on the water brought
in by these tankers and stored in the underground sumps.
Many
commercial establishments and flats are the regular users of water
brought in by tanker lorries. The number of trips that each tanker makes
is a little less because of the rainy season.
These
days it is only about two loads a day but the peak summers sees a
minimum of five loads a day, said Ubaid M. I., joint secretary of the
Ernakulam District Drinking Water Owners’ Welfare Association.
Water
supplied by KWA is never sufficient for all the users in flats,
especially during the dry spell. The extra supply is met by these water
tankers.
With the Health department cracking down on
the tanker lorries carrying making hectic trips, the sources from where
the tankers can source water came to be monitored. There are 106
authorised wells from where the tankers collect water, said P. N.
Sreenivasan, district health officer. The water collected needs to be
properly chlorinated before supplying, he said.
Health officials test the quality of the wells once a month, said Mr. Sreenivasan.“We are all for the measures taken by the Health officials”, said Mr. Ubaid.However. there may be other tanker lorry operators who are supplying water without permits.
“Our
Association members (57 in number) have taken the Corporation
registration and also display the Association’s emblem,” he added.With
less rains this monsoon so far, the tanker lorry owners are also
worried about their resources drying up in the coming season that would
see more demand for water.
If the identified sources
dry up, the private tanker suppliers would have to turn towards the
water treated by the KWA, he said, adding that it would add to the cost
of supplying water.
