Water mafia: Why Delhi is buying water on the black market

About 20% of Delhi's population have no access to piped water and have to be supplied by water tankers. But the difference between demand and supply is more than 750 million litres a day.
About 20% of Delhi's population have no access to piped water

So they have to rely on the black market - water supplied by private contractors, or "the water mafia", as it has come to be known.

"It's always existed here. A network of people who steal water and then supply it to those who need it," says Anuj Porwal, a social activist from Sangam Vihar.

"They have the backing of the police and local politicians. That's why no one can stop them," he alleges.

The allegations have always been denied.

Water mafia: Why Delhi is buying water on the black market

And so it starts..

You cant blame people for making money on a something that's in demand when the government is failing to provide.

It seems crazy that people are paying for water just to survive in a country that spends $1billion a year on its space program.

a reply to: PhoenixOD

Can't we all just get along?

Why can't areas of the world who have water just help others in need? Times like these I just wish I had a lot of money, I would be the savior to people, I promise! If I ever hit the lottery, you WILL hear about me in the news helping people around the world...This stuff makes me sick that we can't provide for our own or others in need, EVER! It's all about the fake dollar, that thing that means nothing...We could all help each other and fail to do so miserably day by day...

Ummm. I buy my water. And i wish my government would spend about a trillion on space. Granted lack of pipes is bad, but who has free water? Only people with aquafers. Very few.

Free straight from the Ganga!

originally posted by: lightedhype
Ummm. I buy my water. And i wish my government would spend about a trillion on space. Granted lack of pipes is bad, but who has free water? Only people with aquafers. Very few.

Oh, we have heaps.

I think that this will become a bigger problem, Earths population continues to rise, climate change has started changing some high population areas into desert "like California". There will be no easy fix, to this problem. Adapt or move to a better living environment. Technology can save us, or create even bigger problems. Its all how humans decide to live in the very near future.

Rather than spend $1 billion on their space program how about spending it on researching affordable desalination techniques. Plenty of sea water around but they say it's too expensive. Well, that's why you research until you find a cheaper method duh.

I pay for water. I buy bottled for drinking and I get a quarterly water bill for bathing, dishes, cooking .
And I am just a renter. It's pretty pricey. It would be an arm and a leg if I owned . A few years ago
I was lucky enough to have a first floor apt with access to the back yard and basement. My land lord who
Was a friend and just all around good guy.. Was ok with me putting in a washer and dryer . I also had one of those cheesy above ground pools from Walmart for one summer. All I needed to do was pay for the extra of the water bill. The following year I gave away the pool and built a nice garden where we grew only fruits and veggies because the water and sewer bill for the 5000 gallon pool was a couple hundred extra .

It's a shame the government isn't providing water to the people but we aren't in much of a different boat.
Between the Fluoride and other chemicals added to the water and the old pipes that are letting heavy metals and rust . That's in NYC mind you . The people in rural areas that have to deal with fracking and the chemicals they are pumping into the ground to force the gas out are having some seriously terrible water issues.
I have seen people able to ignite the water coming out the fourcets because of all the chemicals.

So what's really the difference we are dealing with paying for water also.

a reply to: navione

It's a shame the government isn't providing water to the people but we aren't in much of a different boat.

Except you have got access to water if you want it. These people dont. They get access to 4 ltrs of clean water every 10 days and thats it! And you think you are in the same boat..jeez!

Because the Delhi union govt. are socialist assholes. The money which was supposed to be spent on pipes and other infrastructure is being used on giving subsidized nonsense to people...

a reply to: PhoenixOD

I meant in the way of paying for something that should be free for all. it use to be my taxes covered the cost of the infrastructure to transport the water to my home. Now on top of higher taxes I have to pay a quarterly water bill and the water is unhealthy to drink.So I either have to filter or buy bottled to drink even if I was not concerned with the fluoride that's added to it. just the things leeching into it from the pipes are horrible. I in no way meant to compare life in a first world country to that of a third world. I obviously know how lucky I was to be born where I was an not in Africa, Afghanistan or India.
sorry if I wasn't clear about that im sure I sounded very crast and unthoughtful I am not..

a reply to: PhoenixOD

I wonder what the cost is to police the black market, and also what the cost is in terms of loss to the infrastructure? Surely both can be off-set against installing the extensions required to that infrastructure to ensure that they are the only ones selling water to those people reliant on that black market. The black market of course will continue to exist if the pricing of piped water remains out of reach for some. Water distribution has to be resolved but will not be resolved until the notion that the solution should be profitable (both short and long term) for share holders rather than for stake holders has been resigned to the past.