Chennaiites, particularly hotels and restaurants, no longer have to obey the diktat of water mafia.
They don’t have to wait painstakingly to get ‘untreated’ groundwater from private suppliers who exploit public demand and mint money by tapping water illegally.
Chennai Metro Water (CMWSSB) has made water purchase simpler and cheaper for Chennaiites. Just hire a private tanker lorry and take as much water as you want from a CMWSSB filling point. Also, the rate is cheaper than ever.
Domestic consumer can buy 1,000 litres (1KL) for a meager Rs 40, while the same would be sold for Rs 60 per KL for commercial consumers such as private hospitals, educational institutions and hotels.
To begin with, water could be purchased from filling points at Kolathur, Kilpauk and southern head works (Valluvar Kottam) besides contacting the headquarters at the following number: 45674567.
The new initiative would be different from the existing “dial for water” system where consumers get water delivered at their doorstep through metro hired tankers by simply dialing to the local engineer’s office or the headquarters office.
The new system would help commercial establishments in particular as they face high demand and rely heavily on private suppliers who give untreated groundwater, senior CMWSSB officials said.
More importantly, quality is guaranteed under the new scheme as consumers could collect water straight from the filling station, officials added.
Phone numbers of filling points: Kolathur – 26505435/ 8144930313/ 8144930906; Kilpauk – 26441679/ 8144930362/ 8144930908; Valluvar Kottam – 28341448/ 8144930356 / 8144930909. n P5