Pune: Amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown, there is some good news for people. There will be no water shortage in Pune district this year. Not a single water tanker is supplying water in four of the five drought-prone talukas of Baramati, Indapur, Purandar, Daund and Khed, which face water shortage every year.

According to a Pune Zilla Parishad (ZP) official, at present, only ten tankers are supplying water in two of the 15 talukas of the district, including two city talukas of Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad this summer. Around 125 tankers were supplying water till May 4 last year in the district. Usually, tankers start supplying water to one of the five drought-prone talukas, including Baramati, Indapur, Purandar. However, four out of these five talukas, except Khed, have remained tanker-free till date.

Giving details of the scenario, Executive Engineer of Pune ZP Rural Water Supply Department Surendrakumar Kadam said, “Currently, ten tankers are supplying water in Ambegaon and Khed talukas. Of these, one tanker is providing water to villages in Khed taluka while nine water tankers are plying in Ambegaon taluka. Around 13,000 villagers from eight villages and 23 hamlets in Ambegaon taluka and one village and 13 hamlets in Khed taluka are getting water from the tanker. Thus, only nine villages and 36 hamlets from these two talukas are getting tanker water.”

LAST YEAR...
Around 125 tankers were supplying water till May 4 last year in the district. Usually, tankers start providing water to one of the five drought-prone talukas, including Baramati, Indapur, Purandar. However, four out of these five talukas, except Khed, have remained tanker-free till date.