Most areas in the city are being supplied water once a week or once in 5 days

AURANGABAD: The ongoing water crisis, which continued throughout the festive season, came as a boon for private water suppliers as tankers were in huge demand.

Activists and residents have alleged that the water management is designed to benefit private suppliers .

Although there is no record of how much Aurangabad residents are paying to private agents for water, the gap in the supply and the requirement gives a clear idea about the dependency on private tankers.

Most areas in the city are being supplied water once a week or once in five days. With an average family of four to five members, the 50-minute supply hardly suffices. In addition, water is always at low pressure.

Manisha Jadhav, a homemaker in Cidco N-7, said that tankers are required even to meet the basic household needs. "Households in areas with scant supply have modified their lifestyle so that their daily works are done in minimum water but how much can one adjust when there is a festival? Private tankers are the only solution."

The water tankers charge up to Rs 400 for 2,000 litres and the rates swell during summer.

Shaligram B Bhagat, a retired official of Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran, said his annual water tanker bill is a whopping Rs 24,000. "My house is at the end of the lane in Nandanwan Colony where pressure is extremely low. I have to call tanker twice a week. It would have been better if I had applied for a second water connection."

Activist and blogger Masood Alam Qadri said a link between private water suppliers and office bearers at the municipal corporation cannot be ruled out. "There is a huge disparity in water distribution even in one ward. At Nandanvan Colony, some areas get water supply twice a day while others like Amit Nagar get once in four days. The people living in the latter areas have to depend on tankers," Kadri said.

Civic water works department junior engineer Bhushan Deore said the demand for water tankers is more due to their rising requirement of people. "According to Indian standards, each person requires 135 litres of water per day whereas we are currently providing 250 litres. Only 2% people are actually suffering from water shortage," he said.

