City residents spend sleepless nights awaiting water tankers

Until recently, the tankers had been supplying till evening, because there was enough water to meet the needs. But, now as the Metro Water has largely suspended piped-water supply, the officials have been focusing on supply to households that have no metro water connections. As a result, the less-affluent get their supply in the last. 

Several slum residents lamented that they were not able to sleep at all in anticipation of the water tankers. 

“As it is, we are receiving water once in three or four days. Now, the number of trips made by the Metro Water tankers during day time has come down and we can see them only after 10 pm. We are waiting every night to receive water,” said A Rajkumar, a painter and resident of Elephant Gate near Wall Tax Road. 

“If such a situation continues, we will be forced to buy water from private tankers by paying money,” he lamented. 

K Muthuvel, another resident of Tondaiarpet, complained, “The Metro Water tankers, like in the past, are not filling up water in tanks set up in public places. The officials focus only on revenue. Separate tankers should be allotted for residents, who do not have Metro Water connections.”

Speaking to DTNext on condition of anonymity, a senior CMWSSB official said that they have continuously been receiving requests from residents for water supply and the requests have spiked in the recent month. “Though we have increased the number of trips to 6,200 a day, we feel it is not enough. So, we have decided to increase the timings from 6 am to 12 pm to supply water proportionately,” he said and claimed water was properly supplied to slum dwellers.