GVMC Steps Up Measures to Tackle Water Shortage
The Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) has stepped up measures to meet the drinking water requirements of residents in areas facing shortages, with 102 tankers being deployed to make around 400 trips a day.
GVMC Commissioner Ketan Garg said on Saturday that engineering officials had been instructed to ensure water supply to shortage-hit areas through alternative arrangements. The civic body was also continuously monitoring the city’s major water sources, he said.
The water level at the Mudasarlova Reservoir was currently at 154.11 ft, with 0.50 MGD (2.27 MLD) of water being supplied from the reservoir, Mr. Garg said.
Special attention was being given to areas surrounding Mudasarlova, particularly Wards 11, 12 and 13 in Arilova. Officials had been instructed to deploy tankers from all available filling points to meet the water requirements of these areas. The Bheemili area had also been accorded priority, he said.
619 tanker deliveries completed
The ‘Dial-A-Tanker’ service had received 977 requests till 6.14 p.m. on Saturday, of which 619 tanker deliveries had been completed. Fifty requests were closed due to cancellations or lack of response, while 308 remained pending.
Mr. Garg directed the officials concerned to accord priority to the pending requests and ensure that water was supplied at the earliest.
Residents can book water tankers online through the GVMC website, gvmc.gov.in, by selecting ‘e-Booking’ and then ‘Water Tanker Booking’. They can enter the required quantity of water, location and other relevant details before submitting the request.
Once an acknowledgement is generated, payment can be made through the ‘My Booking’ and ‘Make My Payment’ options. Tankers will be allotted on a first-in, first-out basis, subject to availability and operational requirements.
Charges fixed
The water charge has been fixed at ₹40 a kilolitre. The total charges, including the driver and tanker charges, are ₹390 for 1 KL, ₹550 for 2 KL, ₹900 for 5 KL, ₹1,100 for 6 KL and ₹1,820 for 10 KL.
The water charge must be paid online at the time of booking, while the remaining tanker charge is to be paid to the driver at the time of delivery, as specified in the acknowledgement or payment receipt.
The GVMC has advised residents to book tankers according to the storage capacity of their sumps or water tanks and to keep the storage facilities ready before the tanker arrives.
Residents requiring assistance can contact the GVMC toll-free number, 1800 4250 0009. They can also reach the COC Cell and WhatsApp service at 9014218870, WhatsApp at 8187897569, or the cell number 7386001360.
Mr. Garg said he was personally monitoring the measures being taken to address the shortage. Additional Commissioner S.S. Varma, Chief Engineer P.V.V. Satyanarayana Raju, Water Supply Supervising Engineer Palamaraju, and the concerned Executive Engineers had been instructed to monitor the situation at the field level.
The Commissioner appealed to residents to use water judiciously, avoid wastage, and cooperate with the GVMC during the prevailing situation.