Chennai: Private water tankers assn temporarily calls off strike

Chennai: The Tamil Nadu Private Water Tanker Lorry Owners’ Association has temporarily called off its strike.

They had earlier threatened to go on strike from May 27 after a crackdown on water tankers tapping groundwater in the city’s outskirts.

Nearly, 4500 water tankers of the association that supply water to Chennai from Chennai, Thiruvallur and Kancheepuram districts had earlier decided to go on strike.

According to the sources,  After talks with officials of the Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department on Friday Morning, the Tamil Nadu Private Water Tanker Lorry Owners’ Association has decided to postpone the strike. S. Murugan, secretary of the association, said the officials had assured them that they would arrange for licenses to be provided to borewell owners. He said, “We agreed to operate trips as it would adversely affect people who are already suffering from the water crisis.

The main reason for calling the strike was non-cooperation by village authorities and villages in Chennai, Thiruvallur and Kancheepuram districts to drawing groundwater.

In view of the plummeting levels of groundwater, the strike would have put residents of Chennai city in a bad situation.

The Private Water Tanker Lorry Owners’ Association president,  N. Nijalingam said, “We were trying to get a friendly solution with the villagers who protest when we draw water.

But government authorities are the ones who are making it difficult for us. But with a little cooperation from Chennai Metro Water Supply and Sewage Board, , a few tankers are functioning right now. We’ve spoken to the collectors from all three districts, and they have agreed to us operating”, he said