Bengaluru: Sanchari Cauvery cushions price rise amid tanker demand spike

Bengaluru: As temperatures rise, demand for water tankers has increased across the city.

Data from the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) shows that the Sanchari Cauvery initiative, which supplies Cauvery water through tankers, has seen a steady rise in orders since January.

Orders stood at 4,241 in January, a 22 per cent rise from December. In February, orders increased to 5,980, up 42 per cent from January. Demand stabilised in March at 4,439 orders.

Officials said bulk orders from apartment complexes have remained steady, while demand from individual houses has risen in recent months.

"Apartment complexes have a constant dependency on water tankers, but that is not the case with individual houses. They need water tankers only when their borewells dry up in the summer. Hence, over the last two months, the orders from individual houses have increased," a senior BWSSB official said.

The BWSSB has expanded its fleet to meet rising demand and reduce groundwater exploitation.

BWSSB Chairman Ramprasat Manohar V said the Sanchari Cauvery initiative has helped curb price inflation by private tanker operators.

"Earlier, the prices would be inflated in the summer as private tankers had their own pricing. Now, with Sanchari Cauvery, we have been able to keep the prices under check,” Manohar said.

Private tanker operators said demand typically rises by 15 per cent to 20 per cent during summer.