Manikonda water tanker strike disrupts supplies as owners protest borewell removal

Hyderabad: The Manikonda water tanker strike disrupted private water supplies on Wednesday after hundreds of tanker owners parked their vehicles near Yoga Circle and staged a protest. They opposed the removal of private borewells by HYDRAA and revenue officials, which they said had stopped their water supply operations.

Protesters accused the government of taking action without considering the impact on residents and businesses. They alleged that officials were also trying to stop their tanker operations and warned them against interfering with their vehicles. The owners raised slogans against HYDRAA during the demonstration.

They said hotels, private hostels and apartment residents were already facing difficulties due to water shortages. The protesters questioned whether the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board had the capacity to meet the entire demand if private tankers stopped operating.

Manikonda water tanker strike raises concerns over hostel closures

The tanker owners said even a day’s disruption had caused serious problems for consumers. They claimed some private hostels were shutting down because they could not secure water supplies. They also said students had been sent home after hostels announced holidays.

The protesters demanded that the government intervene immediately and stop removing private borewells. They warned that a complete shutdown of private tanker services would leave residents struggling for water.

The owners denied selling water at excessive rates. They said they supplied it to consumers at affordable prices and described their work as a public service. They also warned that stopping private tankers would push hundreds of families dependent on the business into financial distress.

The association representatives questioned the Water Board’s ability to provide uninterrupted supplies to apartments, hostels and other establishments. They said both consumers and tanker operators were facing difficulties because of the restrictions.

Private Water Tanker Association representatives Raj Kumar, Rachamalla Akshay, Batta Jangaiah, Batta Raju, Balaraju and Moranga Dayakar participated in the protest.