City hotels to face shutdown as water tankers go on strike

M Ravi, president of Chennai Hotels Association, said that when the private tankers conducted a strike in October, more than 50 per cent of the hotels functioning in the city closed due to water shortage.

“Metrowater supply is insufficient and we are depending on the private tankers to meet our water needs. If the private water tankers go on strike, we have to close hotels till they resume supply,” he added.

Since the city lakes are almost dry and the Metrowater is failing to meet the water demand, most of the city residents are opting to buy water from private tankers. Earlier, only commercial establishments and multi-storeyed apartments, especially in south Chennai, were buying water from private tankers. However, officials’ action, following a direction from High Court, against the borewells and tanker lorries has forced the lorry owners to announce indefinite strike from Monday.

“We are drawing water from patta lands with the permission of landowners. So, the government should license the tanker lorries and regulate business. We will not call off the strike till the government license water tankers,” K Selvaraj, secretary, Tamil Nadu Private Tanker Operators Association said.