Pune Water Crisis: Mayor to Discuss Regulating Tanker Rates with District Collector
Reported by Mubarak Ansari
Pune, 19th June 2026: Amid declining water levels in the Khadakwasla dam project and growing concerns over water scarcity, Pune Mayor Manjusha Nagpure said the civic administration will hold discussions with the District Collector to regulate private water tanker rates and prevent exploitation of residents.
Addressing the media on Friday, Nagpure said that the Khadakwasla dam project had around 7 TMC of water storage during the same period last year, compared to only 4 TMC this year.
“With the onset of water scarcity, private tanker operators have increased their rates, leading to the exploitation of citizens. The administration must intervene to regulate tanker prices and ensure adequate control over water resources,” she said.
The Pune Municipal Corporation’s (PMC) decision to implement water cuts has led to a surge in complaints from residents. Civic officials have received around 437 complaints so far regarding water supply issues.
The demand for water tankers has also risen sharply in recent days. On Monday, June 15, PMC-operated tankers completed 1,450 trips across the city. By Friday, the number had increased to 1,665 trips, reflecting a rise of 215 tanker trips within four days.
Nagpure said the PMC has begun planning to manage Pune’s drinking water requirements in view of the declining reservoir levels. However, the decision on whether water should be released for agricultural purposes rests with the Irrigation Department.
“The municipal administration is focused on ensuring sufficient drinking water supply for Pune residents. The Irrigation Department will decide the allocation of water for agriculture,” she said.
Responding to questions about the steep increase in private tanker charges, Nagpure said no official complaints had been received so far. She acknowledged that some increase in rates may be justified due to longer distances required to source water.
“However, a twofold or threefold increase in tanker charges is not acceptable. There is a need to formulate a policy on tanker rates through discussions involving tanker operators, the administration and other stakeholders,” she said.
The mayor added that discussions would be held with the District Collector to explore measures for regulating tanker prices and reserving water resources for essential needs.
Meanwhile, protests against the PMC’s water cuts continued outside the civic headquarters. For the past four days, Tausif Sheikh, Maharashtra president of Aliraza Young Circle, had been on a hunger strike demanding the rollback of water cuts.
The protesters demanded that water allocated for construction activities be diverted for domestic use and called for strict action against the alleged “tanker mafia.”
According to Sheikh, no representatives from the ruling dispensation had engaged with the protesters during the four-day agitation. However, after assurances from Pune City Congress President Prashant Jagtap that the issue would be raised in the PMC general body meeting and efforts would be made to reverse the water cuts, the hunger strike was suspended on Friday.
