Pune, 20th June 2026: Mayor Manjusha Nagpure has said that the civic administration will hold discussions with the District Collector to bring private water tanker rates under control as residents face increasing difficulties due to the ongoing water shortage.
She noted that several tanker operators have raised their charges during the scarcity period, placing an additional financial burden on citizens.
Speaking about the city's water situation, Nagpure said that the Khadakwasla dam project currently holds only around 4 TMC of water, compared to nearly 7 TMC during the same period last year.
Given the reduced water availability, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has started planning measures to ensure adequate drinking water supply for the city in the coming months.
The impact of the alternate-day water supply schedule is also being felt across Pune, with water-related complaints increasing significantly. PMC has received around 437 complaints so far.
Demand for water tankers has risen steadily over the past few days, forcing the civic body to increase tanker operations. While PMC tankers made 1,450 trips on June 15, the number has now increased to 1,665 trips, reflecting a sharp rise in demand from residents.
Nagpure said that decisions regarding the release of water for agriculture will be taken by the Irrigation Department. The municipal administration, meanwhile, remains focused on securing drinking water supplies for Punekars.
On the issue of rising private tanker charges, the Mayor said that no formal complaints have been received yet. However, she acknowledged that some increase in rates may be expected when water has to be transported from distant locations.
At the same time, she stressed that excessive hikes cannot be justified. She said the administration would discuss the matter with the District Collector and other stakeholders to explore measures for regulating tanker operations and ensuring fair pricing for consumers.
Meanwhile, protests against water cuts continued outside the Pune Municipal Corporation. Tauseef Shaikh, Maharashtra President of Aliraza Young Circle, had been on a hunger strike for the past four days, demanding that water allocated for construction activities be diverted for public use and that action be taken against the tanker mafia.
According to Shaikh, no representative from the ruling side had responded to the protest during the four-day agitation. However, after Pune Congress President Prashant Jagtap assured the protesters that the issue of water cuts would be strongly raised in the PMC General Body and efforts would be made to reverse the decision, the hunger strike was suspended on Thursday.
