Pune Struggles with Water Scarcity: 150-160 Tankers Deployed Daily To Meet Demand, 4.03 Lakh Rounds Of Tankers Recorded In Last Fiscal

Sumit Singh & Tikam Shekhawat
Pune, 4th April 2024: The city and its suburbs are grappling with disrupted water supply, leading to a surge in demand for tankers. Records indicate that during the last fiscal year, from April 1, 2023, to March 31, 2024, water has been supplied through a staggering 4.03 lakh rounds of tankers. This marks a significant increase of 46,094 tanker trips compared to the previous year’s figures for the same period.

With the onset of summer intensifying, authorities anticipate a further rise in demand for drinking water, consequently escalating the need for tanker rounds. Consequently, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) faces the crucial task of accurately planning water storage in the Khadakwasla dam chain project to meet the escalating demand.

Water supply in Pune relies on four dams within the Khadakwasla Dam chain project – Panshet, Varasgaon, Temghar, and Khadakwasla. Additionally, the eastern part of the city receives water from the Bhama-Ashkhed water supply scheme. Presently, the Municipal Corporation is drawing 1,680 to 1,700 million liters of water daily to cater to the city and its suburbs. However, the state’s water resources department has advised the municipal corporation to reduce this intake to 1,400 million liters per day.

Despite the substantial volume of water drawn from the dam chain project, several areas continue to experience inadequate and disrupted water supply. Localities such as Ambegaon, Dhayari, Kirkatwadi, Sus, Mhalunge, Baner, Balewadi, Pashan, Wagholi, and Lohgaon are particularly affected, with complaints flooding in regarding water scarcity. Consequently, the municipal corporation is compelled to supply water to these areas via tankers to mitigate the shortage.

Water distribution in Pune typically involves 150 to 160 tankers, with 20 owned by the Municipal Corporation and the remainder by contractors. These tankers collectively undertake approximately 100 trips per day to meet demand. Notably, between January and March alone, over one lakh trips were recorded. As the demand for tanker trips continues to soar, authorities anticipate further escalation in the coming days.

Here’s a summary of tanker voyages over the past three years:

– 2021-2022: 306,842 rounds of tankers
– 2022-2023: 354,254 rounds of tankers
– 2023-2024: 400,348 rounds of tankers

As Pune grapples with water scarcity, authorities are under mounting pressure to address the escalating demand and ensure adequate supply to all affected areas.