Reality of ‘drinking water’ tankers in Bengaluru – captured on video

Water tanker collects water stored in an abandoned land. Where will this water be supplied? Is it safe to drink such water, or to rely on water tankers for safe drinking water?

Look at this video. Rain water—rather more of a cesspool—greenish, smelly water—collected in an open abandoned granite mine, being filled in a “Drinking Water” tanker. The location is right next to RBD Stillwaters (next to Lakedew Lake/ Puravankara Skywoods), in Harlur near Parappana Agrahara Main Road and Kudlu Road, on the outskirts of Bengaluru.

Such tankers also deliver drinking water to many residential projects including apartments. They also deliver water for upcoming constructions in the nearby areas.

Banibrata Dutta, a concerned resident who lives in an apartment near Sarjapur Road, shot this video. He says: “Who knows, it could even be sold as drinking water! One can see a pile of garbage rotting right next to it… Sometimes some dead animals are also seen in this dump!”

Though the tanker is marked as ‘Drinking Water’ tank, it is possible that the blackish water is being sold to upcoming constructions. However, since nobody knows whether the tankers are cleaned after such use, Dutta says that same tanker used for this purpose and drinking water is not okay.

“Even if the water is not being supplied as drinking water but for construction purposes, the labourer families might be drinking this water,” he adds in his Facebook post. 

“Unscrupulous businesses will always exist… and they thrive because there is a disproportionate demand. Unless the demand side is fixed, there will always be such problems on the supply side. Judicious usage of water with lifestyle change is perhaps the answer,” he opines.

Related Articles

Cancer institutes under the lens: radioactive waste
One apartment wastes water, another pays
Bengaluru’s stark water shortage can get worse: new study
How much water is your ward in Bengaluru consuming each month?
Tanker water rates across Bengaluru, February 2015
Piped water supply contaminated, kids fall sick in apartment
Water tankers rule, no one to question
Water tankers: Making money when the sun shines and water flows!

Comments:

  1. Anand Balagopal says:

    This is just an example. Day in and day out – almost 24 hours water tankers ply in and out from Belegere road – the road that connects from Bellandur railway station to varthur police station.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Similar Story

Beyond ghost stations and unsafe infrastructure, how can we reclaim Chennai’s MRTS?

From reading circles to art hubs, urban planners and activists share creative ways to revamp MRTS stations into safe, active public spaces.

For B Kanchana, who frequents Chennai Beach Station on the Rapid Transit System (MRTS), train travel in the morning is comfortable and safe. But the platform itself is in dire need of renovation, lacks signboards or announcements and makes her feel vulnerable, says the administrative professional. Like Kanchana, residents and daily commuters point out the severe neglect across MRTS stations. Safety concerns peaked after the recent death of 55-year-old V Vijaya, whose body was found in a disused room at Thirumayilai MRTS station in October, a stark reminder of the hazards lurking in these public spaces. In Part 1 of…

Similar Story

From Indira Nagar to Park Town, safety in Chennai’s MRTS stations off the tracks

Deserted platforms, broken lifts, and faulty helplines plague Chennai's MRTS stations, leaving women commuters vulnerable and unsafe daily.

In September, Rabiya HM found herself dialling the railway police helpline, 139, during her 60-kilometre daily commute on Chennai's Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS). "At Park Station, a stranger was keeping an eye on me, and when I boarded the ladies' compartment, he followed me onto the next compartment, kept staring, and got off at every station," says the 28-year-old IT employee. Her calls did not go through until Taramani and the mandated police personnel were absent for over an hour. Eventually, Rabiya’s co-passengers intervened and forced the man to deboard. Rabiya’s experience is an everyday reality rather than the…