Corporation to hire 20 tankers to plug shortage in water supply

Mysuru: The water supply division of Mysuru City Corporation will hire 20 water tankers to ensure that those areas which are dependent on borewell and wherever water supply is disrupted due to various reasons, will also get adequate supply.
The monthly expenses for the tankers will be nearly Rs 25 lakh, which will be borne by the corporation. The tankers will be hired by the private service providers on trip rate basis.

As per the plan, these tankers will lift water from various storages in the city and supply to the public free of cost. Speaking to STOI, executive engineer of Vani Vilas Water Works, G Harish said the tankers will be utilised to supply drinking water to all 65 wards.

“It is a temporary arrangement. These tankers will be used in those points where water supply is temporarily affected. For example, if the drinking water supply is affected in one area due to disruption in power supply, we will supply water through these tankers. Over 20 to 30 households may be facing the problem in this particular point.”

“The additional expenses we incur per month is Rs 25 lakh,” he said.

According to Harish, none of the city areas are facing water shortage. “There is enough supply for surface (river) water. The water tanker arrangment is temporary,” he said.

According to mayor Pushpalatha Jagannath, who held a review meeting with the Vani Vilas Water Works and the corporation officers on the drinking water supply issue on Friday, the highest number of complaints are reported from pockets of NR constituency and old areas of the Chamaraja constituency. “So, it was decided to introduce water tankers to supply water to the affected areas,” she said.

Water will be pumped from various storages operated by the Vani Vilas Water Works in various parts of the city. “For example, the water will be supplied from Devanur storage and supplied to 19 wards and nearby layouts and the villages near Kesare and Rajiv Nagar,” said an official privy to the development.

“Water supply via tanker is not new in the city. But this year, the problem reached the peak level in March itself. Implementation of new drinking water supply projects is the only solution,” he said.