Chennai hires larger tankers for rising water demand

Chennai's water supply board is taking steps to meet the increasing demand for water. This summer, they will hire larger tankers to deliver water to residents in newly added areas and to large consumers, such as apartment complexes and government departments. Currently, the Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB) provides about 30 million litres of water a day through mobile supply. This year, there has been a slight increase in the number of tanker trips compared to last year. On average, the agency operates between 3,500 and 3,800 trips each day, with a small increase of about 70 to 80 additional trips since mid-March. To further address demand, CMWSSB will engage tankers with larger capacities of 12 and 18 kilolitres. They will also set a tariff for the water supplies. A new requirement for contracts is that the tankers must be no more than five years old to help prevent delays and water waste. Tankers currently serve around 920 streets and 8,232 street tanks in the city. The president of the local tanker contractors association noted that each tanker usually makes about 10 trips each day. The association is also asking for higher payments during the upcoming contract renewals. In addition, CMWSSB will soon launch a new mobile app. This app will allow residents to track the status of their water delivery requests.