In a bid to regulate the burgeoning water tanker industry in Bengaluru, the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) has initiated stringent measures against unregistered operators.
Effective Tuesday, BWSSB, in collaboration with the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), will enforce legal actions against water tanker proprietors who have failed to register with the municipal authority. Chairman of BWSSB, Ramprasath Manohar V, emphasised that the crackdown would hinge upon the nature of the violations “We will check the water source of the tanker, the rate at which it is supplying water and such other conditions and decide on the action.” The registration deadline, set by BBMP, lapsed on March 15, resulting in only 1,732 out of an estimated 3,500 tankers in the city being officially registered.
The South Zone leads in registered tankers with 456, followed by Mahadevapura with 341. To facilitate monitoring, zonal officials will distribute unique identification stickers to all registered tankers, starting Monday. These stickers, along with government-prescribed rate cards, must be prominently displayed on the tanker exteriors. BBMP issued a stern warning, stating that unregistered tankers will face prohibition from operation. In a bid to empower citizens, a grievance redressal mechanism has been established whereby complaints regarding exorbitant charges can be lodged by dialling 1916. This move underscores a concerted effort to ensure transparency and accountability within the water supply sector in Bengaluru.
