Tanker wheel comes off on road; disaster narrowly averted

Lokmat News Network

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:

The wheel of a water tanker operated by a municipal corporation contractor came off suddenly on MGM Road on Wednesday, narrowly avoiding a serious accident. The incident has brought the issue of fitness checks of 81 tankers into focus, with allegations that the civic administration has long neglected proper inspection.

On Wednesday morning, tanker No. MH-20 CR-7062 was filled with water at the Cidco N-5 elevated storage reservoir (ESR) and was heading towards MGM Seven Hills. Near a big textile shop, one of the rear wheels of the tanker came off unexpectedly. The trolley dragged along the road, but vehicles following behind managed to brake in time, preventing a major mishap.

The driver emptied some water onto plants in the road divider and released the remaining water onto the road. The tanker remained stranded for nearly two hours. In the past as well, several minor and major accidents involving tankers operated by municipal contractors have been reported, but the water supply section has allegedly turned a blind eye.

Contractors are required to submit fitness certificates issued by the Regional Transport Office (RTO) to the municipal corporation, but this is reportedly not being enforced. The civic body has awarded water supply contracts to Ram Infrastructure and Shaikh Construction.

Rising demand increases tanker trips

A total of 81 tankers are filled daily from four water reservoirs located at N-5, N-7, Kotla Colony and Nakshatrawadi. These tankers make between 200 and 250 trips per day. With water demand rising significantly, the number of trips has nearly doubled.