Chennai: Two days after Chennai metro water implemented the centralised system for prior booking water tankers, city residents complain of technical lapses and official apathy.

In addition to the facility of booking water at filling points, Chennai metro water has initiated the centralised and online ways of booking facilities since May 8. It could be done by visiting the website of metro water (www.chennaimetrowater.com) or by calling the centralised number (044 456 74567).

Though senior officials of metro water reiterated that the existing system of booking over phone would continue, officials at the local offices are refusing to do so, according to residents.

“Local area engineers are taking the excuse of the newly introduced system. They did not even listen to us when we visited the metro water office in Puzhithivakkam,” said Bhaskaran Sivaraman, an Ullagaram resident.

City residents are also disappointed over the time-consuming procedure of centralised booking. “Till two weeks ago, we could order by calling up the local filling point numbers. The automatic voice, which responded to my call in the centralised system, had announced that they would connect to a particular person. But, they did not, even after so long,” Bhaskaran said adding that officials of the Puzhithivakkam office of metro water were unwilling to book orders in the old method of contacting over the phone.

It is a great irony that the website is extremely slow due to technical faults. “It kept loading for more than 20 minutes. We could not book a tanker today,” said Aravind, a resident of Ekkaduthangal. The grievance officer of Chennai metro water did not respond to the calls made by DC.

“We have more than 6,000 tankers plying in the city. As it is a centralised booking, it would take time. We would try to rectify the lapses,” the spokesperson said.