The malls in the city have started rationing water, while restaurants have cut down their business hours, The water shortage is slowly crippling the hospitality industry. A popular mall in South Chennai has reduced its water consumption by 30%. The desperate measures were taken in the light of water supply by tankers being hit due to depleting water resources in Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur districts.
While a few restaurants delay their opening time due to the water crisis, some are forced to skip their peak hours after tankers failed to supply water. Approximately 8,000 restaurants with different seating capacity ranging from 100 to 300 are operating in Chennai and suburbs.
The total volume of water required by these restaurants is 156 million liters a day. Chennai Hotels Association spokesperson stated that water tankers have tripled their charges. “A 36,000-litre capacity tanker, which used to supply for ₹3,000, has now increased the price threefold. In a bid to reduce the dependence on water, several restaurants have shifted to disposable cups and plates.
