The city is reeling under water shortage like never before and many housing societies are asking their members to make their own arrangements for drinking water. Last week, residents of Supreme Green Woods Cooperative Housing Society on NIBM Road woke up to a notice that said the society was unable to supply them drinking water any longer.

Since it was built in 2006, the society had been resorting to tankers to augment its weak supply of water that the civic body has failed to address despite repeated representations. Last Friday, the PMC snapped its remaining link - its drinking water supply. Now it is forced to compete with a surging demand from other parts of the city as well for their mainline supplier - the private tanker operator. Adding to their woes, the tanker operator has also jacked up its rates.

“On June 24 , the tanker operator increased the fee from Rs 225 to Rs 350. On Wednesday, he was charging Rs 400 per tanker. But despite the increased rates, he has told us that the water supply cannot be assured because of increased demand from other societies,” said Ashfaque Omer, chairman of the society. Supreme Green Woods was shelling out around Rs 45,000 a month as its water tanker bill; the residents expect it to climb to Rs 60,000 this month.

Even though the society needs around 10 tankers a day, it manages to get only two-three tankers. “We had to ask our members to buy their own drinking water as the PMC supply has as good as stopped,” said Satish Nair, treasurer of the society.

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