Why does a tanker mafia even exist?
If the local administration already has a complete registry of all residential and commercial properties, why isn’t it their job to ensure every building gets clean, potable piped water?
We do it for electricity—almost every establishment, even on the outskirts, is connected to the power grid (like BESCOM). Why not water? To be clear, I'm not asking for unlimited free water. You could easily install water meters, charge per usage, and make the whole system financially self-sustaining. If you go to older parts of the city or even the outskirts, you still see those massive elevated water tanks that used to be managed by the local municipalities, so the framework clearly existed at some point.
My main concerns are:
Zero accountability for quality: Private water tankers don't regularly test what they bring you. What happens if the groundwater at their source gets contaminated? We just drink it and hope for the best.
Depleting groundwater: Tanker operators don't care about the water table or long-term sustainability; they just pump as much as they can sell.
Unregulated power: Water is a fundamental need. Relying on an unofficial "tanker mafia" gives unauthorized private entities way too much control over basic civic life.
Looking for serious replies here. What are the actual infrastructure, political, or financial reasons behind why things ended up this way instead of being treated like a public utility like power? What am I missing?
How can gated communities exist which solely depend on a large number of water tankers for sustenance? How can they put themselves at the risk of being held hostage by an unregulated water mafia?