Pune: The demand for water tankers, especially from the merged areas, has gone up amid a rise in temperatures as the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) recorded 40,000 trips in Jan, a jump of 4,000 from the number in Dec, reveals data provided by the civic body. This is likely to touch 42,000 in Feb, civic officials said, adding there is no need for panic as shortage of potable water is generally reported at this time of the year.
Data of private tankers is not available with the civic administration since the operators source water from private wells or borewells. On an average, around 30,000 trips are made monthly.
As on Monday, the four dams that supply drinking water to the city had 17.61 TMC (one thousand million cubic feet) water, which was pegged at 60% of their capacity. Residents, however, say they are paying property tax but are not getting a basic facility like water.
“Big infrastructure projects are announced to boost supply network. But why are not they completed on time? The situation is worsening with each passing day. The demand is increasing while the supply is reducing. We have already spent a sizable amount in buying the property and are now spending lakhs of rupees on tankers,” Sanjay Dimble from Yewalewadi said.
Another point people raise is the quality of water supplied in tankers by PMC-appointed contractors. This is crucial in the wake of the GBS outbreak that has claimed 11 lives in Pune so far.
“We have to either survive on tankers or buy water from private RO plants. However, the quality is now questionable after the spread of GBS in our area,” Khadakwasla resident Ganesh Turure said.
To this, a civic official clarified that tankers fill water from treatment plants, and it is safe for consumption. “These plants use chlorin as per standard norms for purification.”
Residents in merged areas condemn what they call secondary treatment in comparison with those living in old city areas.
“Basic infrastructure to supply water through pipelines is still missing in many villages even eight years after they were brought under the PMC limits. The funds collected through property tax should be utilised to improve the situation. It is a double whammy of property tax and tanker charges,” Shrirang Chavan, a resident of Dhayari, said.
For those unawares, the corporation in 2017 took 11 villages under its jurisdiction and another 23 in 2021.
Facing criticism over PMC’s failure to address the issue, particularly ahead of summer, civic officials said data of tankers’ demand in merged areas is being collected and it will be used for short-term and long-term solutions.
“The data will also be used for a ‘master plan of water supply infrastructure in newly added areas’, which was drafted in 2022. It is already being executed in places such as Bavdhan and will cover the remaining locations in a phased manner before 2027. Tanker water is either given to public tanks built by the then grampanchayats or housing societies,” a senior civic official, who did not wish to be named, said.
Prasanna Joshi, an PMC official, said demand for water tankers is also high in the fringes.
Surge in water tanker demand exposes PMC’s infra challenges | Pune News – The Times of India
