To ensure prompt supply of water by tankers and to cut down on any unnecessary cost, the GVMC is introducing the Global Positioning System (GPS) on them.

Mandatory

Installing GPS has been made mandatory from April 1 for all the tankers making it part of the tender document.

While 60 tankers make 460 trips daily to the areas that require supply in the year, in summer the number of trips is increased by 170 using another 30 tankers.

So far GPS has been fixed on 32 of the 60 tankers, it was learnt. GVMC intends to fix them to all tankers by April 17.

The ones for which the GPS has already been fixed will be made operational by then.

While Rs. 4 crore is spent on the supply by tankers in the year, for the tankers in summer Rs. 84.7 lakh is spent.

While the basic purpose of introducing GPS is to track vehicles, it is the number of trips made that is important and to prevent any false claims being made, say sources in GVMC.

Besides, when a tanker starts its trip, is idle or moving and the timely delivery of water at the designated points and when the trip ends also can be ensured by monitoring through GPS.

Supply by tankers is more in Zones I, V and VI with the merged 32 panchayats and Gajuwaka area falling under it.

Wards One to six that include Madhurawada and Endada and more than 50 per cent of wards 55, 56 and 57 in Gajuwaka and in Vepagunta and Pendurti areas of Zone VI are covered by tankers.

Initially there was some resistance but it was insisted that the contractor should install the GPS device.

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu is also insisting on introducing GPS on all water tankers all over the State.

Mayor P. Rajani Seshasai has called upon the staff of her office to ensure that paperless transactions take place in the corporation within a few months. She said that everyone should respond to the call given by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on giving top priority to technology.

Speaking at a one-day workshop for engineers and staff of the municipal corporation on e-office system and digital economy here on Tuesday, she suggested that the staff of the corporation should improve their work in order to get the maximum results in a short span of time by making use of technology.

The Urban Development Research Institute, Hyderabad under the aegis of the Municipal Corporation of Rajamahendravaram organised the programme.

Municipal Commissioner V. Vijayarama Raju said that several changes had been made in the corporation as far as administration was concerned and added that a service centre would be set up in a week’s time. He maintained that the e-service centre would be linked to all the departments.