Finally, regulation for water tankers

As the water crisis hit the city, the prices of water tankers soared, prompting the government to act in accordance with the Disaster Management Act. It also exposed the presence of illegal, unregulated water tankers, which many call “tanker mafia”.

“Tankers source water via illegal borewells dug around lakes in the peri-urban area. A visit to Anekal Taluk showed how the ‘tanker mafia’ operates. There were 7-8 borewells around each lake. The quality of groundwater was bad around these parts due to sewage seepage. Is it genuinely potable?” asks R Rajagopalan, Convener of Bengaluru Residents Welfare Association.

However, there is no official confirmation of the presence of this mafia. Transport department officials say that out of the nearly 3,500 vehicles registered under the tanker category in the 10 Regional Transport Offices in the city, only 1,499 are water tankers. The rest carry oil, milk, liquified petroleum gas, and more.

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) mandated that all water tanker owners upload the details of their vehicles in an application designed for it. The BBMP data shows that over 1,700 tankers were registered until March 14, 2024, more than the official number of water tankers registered with the transport department, which is 1,499.

What causes this data mismatch?

A water tanker owner who preferred anonymity explains why this happens: “Many farmers who have water sources refurbish their tractors with tanks and use them to carry water. While they use it for agricultural use, they also supply it for construction, residential use, or drinking purposes when the demand is high.”

Officials admit that unauthorised tankers are operating, fitted to agriculture and commercial tractors and trailers, which have been deployed due to the current demand caused by the water crisis. A transport department official says there is no data on such unauthorised vehicles because they cannot be tracked.

With coating or not?

Such vehicles may or may not have the ethoxylated polyethyiemine (EPI) coating that water tankers are supposed to have to prevent rusting of the tanker. However, Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) and BBMP officials say they do not inspect and monitor whether the vehicles have the required coating. 

Most officials from the concerned departments are unaware of any specialised rules for water tankers and their monitoring. The BBMP health department was previously tasked with monitoring the coating for tankers. However, as there has been no water crisis in the last few years, officials say this aspect has not been monitored enough.

When issuing fitness certificates for tankers, the transport department officials might be able to check the presence of coating and other details. Yet, no one knows whether this is done.

White-board tankers

Many illegal tankers, fitted into tractors or trailers, have white number boards meant for private usage yet operate for commercial purposes. Such vehicles do not fall under any department other than transport.

BBMP officials say they cannot verify whether a vehicle is authorised to operate as the owners upload all the documents. Verification processes may occur later, but there is no chance of that happening now.

Sources say the unauthorised tankers are unlikely to be touched until the water crisis is over because such actions will likely increase the tanker price. Also, though illegal, they still help people with water in the highly water-starved city; hence, the chance of action against unauthorised vehicles is nil.

Trade licences

A 2016 document on trade license fees lists water tankers under Part IV under the trade-non-food items-industrial category, with a fee of Rs 2,500. News reports from 2016 show that though a trade license was mandatory, thousands of water tankers operated without it, and BWSSB and BBMP were unwilling to insist on it. 

There were no licenses, so they could not even be called “illegal” unless the other departments, such as transport, identified them as illegal. 

The situation remains the same. Even today, BBMP officials say the BBMP does not issue trade licenses for water tankers. “Even if they are issued, they will be under the petty trade licence category,” says Vikas Kishor Suralkar, BBMP’s Special Commissioner of Health.

Water tanker owners have their worries. When asked why unregistered, unlicensed takers operate, one tanker owner explains that getting any license is tedious.

Tankers data: BBMP

“One has to get permission from the central groundwater authority for the borewell and get a commercial power license from BESCOM. Many do not get these, making the water source illegal, thereby making all other approvals hard to get,” he explains.

In the past, BWSSB asked BBMP to regulate water tankers. Still, for reasons best known to authorities, this never happened until the current water crisis triggered action from the BBMP in the form of the self-registration
application.