RMC to manage water tanker demand amid shortage concerns

Raipur: The Raipur Municipal Corporation (RMC) has ordered a review of water supply agreements between private builders and the civic body following a surge in demand from residential areas. RMC officials addressed the growing water crisis during a special meeting at the municipal headquarters on Monday. A zone commissioner reported that several private colonies have demanded water supply via municipal tankers. Mayor Meenal Choubey, members of the Mayor-in-Council (MiC), water works engineers, and zonal commissioners attended the meeting to discuss these requests. The municipal authorities decided the RMC will charge private builders for supplying water to their colonies, rejecting any possibility of free supply. Officials expressed concerns that high demand for tankers could deplete water levels in municipal tanks, reducing pressure in regular supply lines. In Zone-5, a plan to address water issues through pipeline modifications at Changorabhatha and Raipur tanks was proposed over six weeks ago, but the work is pending. To ensure uninterrupted supply in residential wards, Mayor Choubey directed that water works engineers across all 10 zones be restricted from performing other duties. The civic body has fixed the rate for rented water tankers at Rs 567 per trip. Currently, Zone-9 alone has requested 20 tankers to mitigate the acute shortage. RMC has rolled out measures to ensure equitable drinking water supply across the city as summer temperatures rise. Officials must ensure drinking water reaches even the tail-end areas of the distribution network. Water tankers will be deployed based on demand in water-scarce localities. If filling tankers from overhead tanks affects regular supply, authorities must arrange nearby borewells to source water.The meeting highlighted ongoing water supply challenges in several areas, including Zone-5 (Dr Khubchand Baghel and Bhakt Mata Karma Ward), Zone-3 (Bhavna Nagar and Nilamber Bihar Colony), and Zone-9 (BSUP Colony, Saddu and Moba areas).