Aurangabad: The contractor supplying water tankers to areas where tap water doesn’t reach has stopped the service citing non-payment of dues by the Aurangabad Municipal Corporation (AMC).This has come as a served a blow to the residents who have made advance payment to the AMC for water. Many areas in the periphery of the city do not have tap water connection. However, being within the municipal limits, the AMC becomes liable to provide them with drinking water.Localities in Jai Bhawani Nagar, Bharat Nagar, Vishrantwadi, Chikalthana, Misarwadi, Satara and Deolai are supplied water through different elevated storage reservoirs (ESR) in the city. Currently, the AMC has 95 water tankers supplying water including 48 at Cidco N5 ESR, 22 at N7 Cidco ESR, 18 at Kotla Colony ESR and 7 for Satara-Deolai from Nakashtrawadi main balancing reservoir.According the contractor, the outstanding dues are over Rs 1.70 crore. “Rs 60 lakh is pending from August-September. For the tanker service supplying water to Satara and Deolai, bill worth Rs 35 lakh is outstanding and no payment has been made for the last 13 months,” he said.The contractor further said that the AMC transferred Rs 30 lakh to his account on Wednesday night. He, however, is not yet ready for resumption of services. “The fuel costs in a month goes up to Rs 20 lakh. The tankers are hired on contract basis and around 100 drivers and helpers are to be paid their salaries. The workers are not ready to work without salary,” the contractor said.Meanwhile, the residents dependent on tanker water supply are facing a tough time due to water shortage. Santosh Surse, a resident of lane number 11 in Jai Bhawani Nagar said that the gaps in tanker supply are frequent. “We have already made payment to the AMC for supply, but we have no option but to buy water from private players, which is even more expensive,” he said.The AMC supplies tanker water at Rs 1,100 for three months, which fills 200 litre drum on every alternate day.

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