Pune: As summer intensifies in Pune, the demand for water tankers across the city has soared. In response, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has been supplying free water tankers to areas facing shortages. However, numerous complaints have emerged from citizens stating that the tankers often fail to reach their destinations.
To tackle these grievances and ensure accountability, PMC has now made it mandatory for Assistant Commissioners of each zone to sign and verify the route logs of the water tankers. This move is aimed at preventing water theft and ensuring that the tankers are dispatched as scheduled to the intended locations.
The growing crisis is evident in the data: 47,896 tankers were deployed in March, a sharp increase from 38,522 in February — a surge of nearly 10,000. With the peak of summer yet to come, numbers are expected to rise further in April and May.
Despite having GPS systems installed on all tankers, reports of premature unloading or diversion persist. In some cases, complaints have been made alleging that political representatives or their aides have emptied tankers before reaching designated spots.
To address these issues, PMC’s Water Supply Department has been instructed to closely review tanker movements. Assistant Commissioners must now personally verify and sign the daily records of tanker routes to ensure they are being used appropriately.
Additional Commissioner M.J. Pradeep Chandran has ordered a thorough inspection of the Water Supply Department’s operations. He has stressed the need to track tanker routes in detail, especially during the ongoing heatwave.
According to PMC data, 4,04,340 water tankers were dispatched citywide during the financial year 2024–25. However, without stricter checks, the effectiveness of this large-scale supply has come into question.
By tightening monitoring and enhancing accountability, PMC hopes to ensure that every drop reaches those in need, particularly during these critical summer months.
