HYDERABAD: The juggernaut of `killer' water tankers are rolling uncontrolled on the city roads while the Government wings concerned remain mute spectators!

A day after a water tanker crushed a five-year-old girl to death at Shahinayatgunj, another one mowed down an elderly man and maimed two others at Musheerabad on Tuesday. Eight persons died and 23 more were critically injured in 29 road accidents involving water tankers till now this year.

`Not our job'

Though the situation is not as worse as last year --17 persons got killed and 24 sustained injuries in 41 road accidents "caused" by water tankers in year 2005 -- the accidents continue to recur. "We can only regulate movement of traffic. Checking fitness of vehicles and drivers is the job of Transport department officials," react traffic policemen when asked about reasons behind the accidents.

The Road Transport Authority employees say they were doing their best to check accidents. "We recently conducted a special drive against water tankers following a specific complaint and seized some unfit vehicles," they claim.

But the accident spree still persists.

The Hyderabad Metro Water Supply and Sewerage Board on Tuesday announced that they terminated services of a water tanker that knocked down a girl at Shahinayatgunj on Monday.

Board Director (Technical) M. Satyanarayana said the board hired some 545 water tankers. "Since the tanker owners signed an agreement to comply with all rules relating to road use, we are in no way responsible for the accidents," he says.

RTA officials say in private that some tanker owners are exploiting the loopholes in the law.

Take for example the case of a water tanker declared `unfit' by the RTA that killed a motorcyclist at Marredpally in April last year.

The vehicle was declared `unfit' during an inspection of water tankers held by the RTA authorities jointly with the Hyderabad Traffic police.

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