A video clip doing the round on the social media shows a water tanker discharging waste water by the roadside at Socorro in Porvorim. It is learnt that a panchayat member alerted the police. The police arrested the driver, a native of West Bengal but residing in Porvorim, in this connection.
It may be recalled that recently Sancoale residents had demanded stern action against water-tanker owner allegedly transporting sewage. Water-tankers carrying sewage and waste water is a matter of grave concern as it could lead to an epidemic in the locality as these same water-tankers could be used to supply potable water to several households.
Whenever there is scarcity of water due various reasons, including bursting of the water pipeline, citizens depend on the water supplied by private water tanker operators for their daily needs.
The transport department needs to carry out an audit of all the water tankers supplying potable water in the state. It would be in the fitness of things for the water tankers supplying potable water to have a particular colour code for the vehicles which could be decided by the transport department.
When we have black-and-yellow taxis and white tourist cabs why not a particular colour code for tankers carrying potable water? This will go a long way in keeping a tag on these water tankers so that they are not used for any other purpose.
