In Madurai, many private companies are operating without licence for supplying water to households
In Tamil Nadu's Madurai, 43-year-old Shankmukham Nath is the bearer of good news for locals in Nehru Nagar. As he honks, it signals the arrival of water, costing Rs 10 for 15 litres. For a water starved colony, he is a saviour.
"Corporation water tanker comes here once a week, every Sunday evening. But SM Waters comes here twice every day. That's where we buy our water from," says Mohammad Afreeth, while helping his family fill water pots.
In Madurai, there are many private companies operating without licence for supplying water to households and hotels, but the government mostly turns a blind eye to them because of the enormity of the demand for water among people.
"People buy from us a can of water for Rs10. They get angry at us, call and abuse us if we don't come for even one day," Shankhmukham Nath says while driving the private water tanker.
60-year-old Uma Devi is a widow who earns Rs 3,000 a month. But for the last three months, she has been spending around Rs 700 per month to buy water for her family of three.
"There is no corporation water here. If private tankers are also stopped where will we get our water from? Even though we have to pay for water, we are at least getting," Uma Devi says. Her friend Vijaya Laxshmi, sitting by her side, says, "We pay water tax, but there is no water."
The Madurai Corporation since January has ordered for 500 borewells to be sunk, in an urgent attempt to address the worst water scarcity the city faced in nearly a decade. The government has said that in case of extreme unavailability of water, it will consider taking over the water sources of even private water tankers.