Private water tanker suppliers hike charges in Sambhajinagar

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Scores of tanker-dependent residents of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar will have to shell out more money towards getting water as private suppliers have announced a hike in charges from Monday.

Claiming water scarcity and increase in diesel prices, the suppliers have decided to charge Rs100 more for every trip, taking the cost per tanker to Rs900. Around Rs500 to Rs600 were charged by the supplier per trip beginning this summer, the gradual hike every month has been burning holes in the pockets of citizens.

“We source water from wells and all such water bodies have dried up now. We have to source water from wells situated in far areas and the additional burden needs to be passed to users,” a water tanker supplier said, preferring anonymity.

Many tanker suppliers said diesel prices have shot up by Rs7.50 per litre by virtue of recent multiple hikes. “Besides fuel becoming costlier, it has become scarce too. We also struggle to arrange for fuel,” another supplier said, adding that tanker charges may dip if wells revive during the early phase of monsoon.

Satara-Deolai, Mitmita, Padegaon and many other municipal limits still depend on water tankers with unavailability of tap water supply. “The hike in tanker charges will inflict more financial stress upon us. We depend on such supplies for drinking water and other needs. Every month we end up paying huge money towards the tanker supply,” Alka Washikar, a resident of Satara area, said.