IMC fouling up water supply

HUNDREDS OF residents who depend on tankers to meet their daily water needs are being deprived of their rightful share of the precious liquid, thanks to inefficient harnessing of resources.

HUNDREDS OF residents who depend on tankers to meet their daily water needs are being deprived of their rightful share of the precious liquid, thanks to inefficient harnessing of resources.

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Instead of feeding tankers from hydrants located near the localities where the water is to be supplied the Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) is packing off the vehicles to borewells that are not only distant but also disgorge water at much lower pressure.

A case in point is tanker supply to people living in the west and southwestern areas of the City. Residents of these localities can be best served through the Gwala Colony hydrant which, apart from being the nearest, also spews water at pressures allowing tankers to be filled in an hour.

The Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC), however, prefers to get the tankers filled at Bijalpur hydrant that is not only a considerable way off but also lacks the required pressure.

“The pressure at Bijalpur hydrant is so low it takes anywhere between 3-4 hours to fill a tanker whereas filling one at Gwala Colony takes an hour at the most,” said a tanker driver.

The latter also stays unused for most of the day as it supplies only to four wards, 21, 22, 51 and 52, he added. “Despite this the corporators insist that we fill our vehicles at Bijalpur.

As a result one filling and delivery trip that can be tackled in three hours takes nearly double the time,” pointed out another driver. But why don’t they point this out to the concerned corporators?

The drivers charge that the elected representatives themselves want the vehicles to be filled at Bijalpur as, “a portion from the proceeds of diesel allotted for the trip goes to them”.

Waterworks in-charge Munnalal Yadav strongly rebutted the charges declaring that a greater number of tankers could not be filled at Gwala Colony owing to opposition by local residents.

“They prevent water from the hydrant being carried out to other parts of the City saying it is needed for cattle for washing as well as drinking,” Yadav pointed out.