Amidst scorching heat, Delhi cries out for water. The 'Operation Tanker Mafia' has unveiled the corrupt practices in the water supply, prompting government attention.
Delhi's Water Minister Atishi has written to the Police Commissioner, stating that the Delhi government will take action on the 'Operation Tanker Mafia' issue.
The audacity of the water mafia in Delhi has been on full display. Our undercover team visited Sangam Vihar and met Ritesh, a tanker mafia operative who runs the business from his house. The team posed as customers in need of a large water supply for construction purposes.
The cost for one tanker is 3000 rupees
Meeting with Ritesh, the undercover reporter inquired about the availability of a water tanker for construction. Ritesh assured availability, inquired about the address and amount of water needed, and discussed the pricing.
He quoted a price of 2100 rupees per tanker, before offering a discounted price of 1500 rupees, for 12000 liters of water. He additionally mentioned that delivering water to rooftop tanks would incur extra charges, raising the cost to 3000 rupees per tanker.
In almost every alley of Sangam Vihar, water mafia thrive. Skipping two lanes, our team encountered Mohan, a tanker operator. The covert camera captured a tanker being filled from a borewell. Mohan revealed he has a 4500-liter tanker, priced at 2200 rupees.
Water tankers available on demand
Our team learned from Mohan that not only does he own an illegal borewell, but he also has a large water storage tank within his premises. Our hidden camera caught a tanker being filled from the borewell. Mohan informed us that it takes about one hour to fill a vehicle with water coming from 650 feet below. He also explained that tankers can be provided every other day if needed.
The cost to fill a tanker is merely 500 rupees
In Delhi, tanker mafias are flouting multiple regulations, including illegally extracting water from tube wells. Our team found such illegal operations in Wazirabad area of Yamuna Khadar. There, we spoke to Ramesh, who operates an illegal tube well. When asked about the cost to fill a 12000-liter tanker, he said it's merely 500 rupees.
