Heat burns the pocket; Bengaluru residents struggle to pay soaring water tanker costs

Bengaluru: Many parts of the city rely on water tanker supply throughout the year, with some areas, like Hennur, depending on tankers for up to 60% of their water needs.

However, water tanker prices are not uniform across the city.

Suppliers DH spoke to revealed that the going rate for a 6,000-litre tanker ranges from Rs 600 to Rs 650, while a 12,000-litre tanker costs around Rs 1,400.

Contractors also charge an additional Rs 100 if the delivery distance exceeds 2–3 km and do not supply beyond 4–5 km. Currently, they make around eight deliveries per day.

Residents who depend entirely on water tankers say they have no choice but to pay the prevailing rates.

K Subramanian, a member of Hennur Taskers, said, "This summer looks bleak as well. We've been relying on tankers for several years now. During summer, tankers meet up to 90% of our water demand. We requested our MLA for a borewell, which currently supplies around 40% of our needs throughout the year. At present, we are paying about 10 paise per litre for tanker water."

Jishnu, a resident of Horamavu Agara, noted that good-quality water costs around Rs 1,000 per tanker. "We have been relying on water tankers for the past two years. For a family of three, we need four to five tankers a month," he said.

Similarly, a Whitefield resident stated that tanker prices in the area range from Rs 1,400 to Rs 2,200.

Despite the growing dependence on tankers, the BWSSB has no direct authority to regulate their pricing.

BWSSB Chairman Ram Prasath Manohar told DH, "In case of discrepancies in rates, we notify the BBMP, which takes action. The current rates seem reasonable, but if they become unreasonably high, we will use legal measures to bring them in line. We are also considering denying permission for drilling borewells and investigating water sources. This will serve as an indirect measure to regulate prices, as we lack direct regulatory powers."