CHENNAI: The demand for drinking water has risen so much that it takes an average of 20 days for a booked Metrowater tanker to arrive at your doorstep. A few who booked a 9,000-litre load in the first week of March are being supplied now, said a contractor.A senior Metrowater official said the quality of the supply and the low charge Rs 700 for 9,000 litres against the Rs 2,500-Rs 3,000 demanded by private operators depending upon the distance were behind the delay.Besides, people in gated communities and large apartment complexes book in advance and are preferred, due to the large number of dwelling units, delaying supply to individual houses or smaller apartment complexes. Most smaller complexes don’t have the capacity to store 9,000 litres.The average time taken for residents of areas like West Mambalam , T Nagar, Nungambakkam , Ashok Nagar and KK Nagar to get a tanker is around 20 days, while those in most parts of north Chennai are supplied in a week and people on ECR and OMR have to wait at least 10 days, he said. The 700 tankers in contract with Metrowater, with a storing capacity of 6,000 litres, 9,000 litres and 16,000 litres that are charged Rs 475, Rs 700 and Rs 1,200, make 350 trips a day. The agency mainly operates tankers of capacity 6,000 and 9,000 litres, with the 16,000-litre tankers fewer in number said.But for most of the city’s residents, particularly in the newly-added areas, private operators are the lifeline. Tanker Lorry Owners Association president N Nijalingam said about 4,500 private vehicles supply various areas. “We have tankers with a capacity of 12,000 litres, 24,000 litres and 36,000 litres and charge Rs 1,000, Rs 2,000 and Rs 2,750 respectively, depending on the distance,” he said.The 4,500 tankers each operate five trips a day and are able to reach residents within a day or two of being booked. Most IT companies, educational institutions and gated communities on OMR are totally depedent on private tankers, Nijalingam said.P Sudarshanam, a resident of a gated community on OMR, said they had signed a contract with a private operator for a 1-year period. “Till that time, the operator will not be able to revise charges. The revision is possible only when signing a new contract.”

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