Pune Water Tanker Owners Launch Indefinite Strike Over ‘Unjust’ Police Action and RTO Delays
Reported by Mubarak Ansari
Pune, 15th April 2026: The essential water supply to several parts of Pune city faces a major disruption as water tanker owners have declared an indefinite strike starting today, April 15, 2026. The move comes in response to what the owners describe as “unjust” and “harassing” enforcement actions by the traffic police and systemic failures at the Regional Transport Office (RTO).
The Core Grievances
In a formal notice addressed to the District Collector, Police Commissioner, and Municipal Commissioner, the Pune Water Tanker Owners Association highlighted a series of issues that have pushed them to halt services.
A primary concern is the recent special enforcement drive initiated on April 8 by DCP (Traffic) Himmat Jadhav. Tanker owners allege that police are seizing vehicles for minor technicalities and imposing heavy fines, even when paperwork is largely in order. They argue that these actions are particularly damaging during the peak summer season when water demand is at its highest.
“We are being forced to pay Rs 1500 fine. If helper is hired, the cost of water will increase and housing societies will have to bear it”, said Sushant Lonkar, a water tanker owner.
Furthermore, the owners pointed out that the Pune RTO’s passing center has been closed for the past two months. This closure has prevented many tankers from obtaining mandatory fitness certificates, leaving them legally vulnerable despite being in good mechanical condition.
‘Water Service Providers,’ Not ‘Tanker Mafia’
The association also expressed deep resentment over the “Tanker Mafia” label being used on social media and news channels, particularly following a recent unfortunate incident in the NIBM-Cloud 9 area. “We are ‘Jal Seva Pradata’ (Water Service Providers), not a mafia,” the notice stated, emphasizing that they provide an essential service to societies that the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) cannot reach.
Statistics provided in the notice suggest that while the state government sanctions approximately 14 TMC of water for Pune annually, the actual consumption has crossed 22 TMC due to the city’s growing population, making tankers indispensable.
Key Demands
The tanker owners have set several conditions for withdrawing the strike:
RTO Modernization: Immediate reopening of the RTO passing center and expedited clearance of pending fitness tests.
End to Harassment: A stop to the seizure of tankers for minor issues and a policy of only penalizing the specific drivers responsible for violations rather than the vehicle owners.
Safety Law Amendments: Replacing the requirement for a physical ‘Helper’ on tankers with the installation of 360-degree cameras.
Action Against Vigilantism: Legal action against “self-proclaimed” social workers and fake journalists who reportedly intercept and harass tanker drivers on the road, citing violations of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the IT Act.
Impact on the City
With the strike now in effect, residents in high-rise societies and fringe areas that depend heavily on tanker water are likely to face severe shortages. The association maintains that the strike will continue indefinitely until their demands are met and the “harassment” by authorities and local vigilantes ceases.
