Bengaluru water crisis: Residents fleeced despite price cap on tankers

Two days after the government capped water tanker prices in Bengaluru, residents in many parts of the city say private water tankers continue to fleece them. 

The  Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) has capped the price of a 12,000-litre water tanker at Rs 1,000 for a distance within five kilometres and Rs 1,200 for a distance between five and 10 kilometres. 

However, many residents say they continue to pay Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,000 for a 12,000-litre tanker. 

The government's decision to mandate the registration of private tankers seems to have worsened the situation. While Bengaluru is estimated to have thousands of private water tankers, only 1,391 tankers were registered by March 7, the official deadline. 

Apartment dwellers say the tanker frequency has decreased after government intervention because unregistered water suppliers refuse to follow government guidelines. 

Navneet Hegde, a resident of Aspen Woods, an apartment complex located on Doddakammanahalli Road in Hulimavu, said price capping, too, had worsened their situation.

"The scarcity is so bad that our taps are mostly dry. There are nearly 200 houses in the complex and a 12,000-litre tanker gets over within a few hours of supply,” he said. 

Kiran Kumar, a resident of Sobha Forest View, an apartment complex in Banashankari 6th Stage, off Kanakapura Road, said sourcing water tankers had become a matter of severe concern since it was uncertain as to whom to contact. Registered suppliers are priced based on the distance while unregistered ones demand higher rates. 

"It takes us multiple attempts to negotiate and finally agree upon a favourable price with the unregistered suppliers, especially when we bargain based on the government-capped price. However, when there are worst-hit places, people have no choice but to pay high to the suppliers regardless of whether registered or unregistered. They immediately decline our requests unless we pay a minimum of Rs 1,500 or Rs 2,000,” he said while adding that the registered tankers refuse to supply, blaming longer routes and distance. 

Criticising the government’s poor handling of the registration process, and its inefficient outcomes, Sunil Thomas, a resident of Hennur, suggested that the government make arrangements to ensure all the water suppliers are registered. 

"Unless the government comes up with a system to ensure everybody is registered, the fleecing will not stop. One way to do that would be to get the apartments to disclose who their suppliers are and mandate all the suppliers to complete registration,” he said. 

Srivatsa V K, a resident of Balaji Layout, Kanakapura Road, said that the government must focus on replenishing the dried-up underwater sources and other waterbodies, instead of splurging money on digging new borewells and harbouring unfair distribution of available water.