Water tankers make hay while the sun sizzles

BENGALURU: With water shortage plaguing Bengaluru, residents fall back on tankers from private suppliers and pay a bomb, with prices rising during summer. While some areas feel the pinch only during this season, for large swathes of the city, water shortage is a reality all through the year.Private suppliers charge users according to season, area and demand. Located on CMH Road, Jala Water Supply caters to areas around Indiranagar, like Domlur and Ulsoor.“Our maximum capacity is 15 loads per day. During summer, the price of a 6000-litre tanker is Rs 950 in Indiranagar, while customers who order from us round the year are charged Rs 600. The cost varies depending on the area, demand, distance and time; we raise the rate to Rs 1,500 per tanker if the places take longer to reach or we have to travel through narrow roads, to compensate for increased diesel consumption. We also take emergency orders at night, when tankers are priced around Rs 1,200 each,“ said Raghavendra, the proprietor, for who water supply is parttime business.Just Paani supplies water to houses, apartments and commercial establishments in and around Electronics City, HSR Layout and Sarjapura.They have developed a tech enabled network to capture data regarding water availa bility, demand and fulfilment.“Currently, there is high del mand in HSR Layout and a 6000-litre tanker costs between l Rs 700 and Rs 800,“ said Liju James, an aggregator at Just , Paani. Their website justpaani.com assures costumers that they supply water tested and, certified by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories.Arun Kumar, owner of Shree Vinayaka Water supply, said, “We have the maximum , demand from Jayanagar 4th . Block where a tanker costs Rs 600.“ Explaining how costs dif fer from one area to another, he said they supply water to Banashankari and Padmanabha Nagar for Rs 550 per tanker load, while the price increases to Rs 800 in Bommanahalli.“Our 25-year-old apartment block has one borewell.We have never faced water shortage but are aware that we might run short of water this year, and will have to pay Rs 1,700, besides maintenance charges,“ said Ram Prakash L, a resident of Adarsh Court Apartments, Jayanagar.Suresh C R of Sahakarnagar said they purchase water from tankers every day.Mayuri V Thota