Pune Division Tops Maharashtra In Water Tanker Deployment Amid Worsening Scarcity
Pune Division Tops Maharashtra In Water Tanker Deployment Amid Worsening Scarcity
As Maharashtra grapples with an intensifying water crisis, the Pune division has recorded the highest number of water tankers deployed across the state, according to the latest data from the Water Supply and Sanitation Department.
Among all six administrative divisions, Pune division—which includes Pune, Satara, Solapur, Sangli, and Kolhapur districts—has deployed 65 tankers to supply drinking water to drought-hit villages. This is the highest across the state, followed by Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar (51 tankers), Konkan (46), Amravati (39), and Nashik (22). The Nagpur division currently has no tanker deployment.
Satara leads the tally within the Pune division with 40 tankers in operation, followed by Pune district (19), Solapur (4), and Sangli (2). Kolhapur district has reported no tanker use so far. Officials attribute Satara’s high dependency on tankers to declining groundwater levels and weak rainfall during last year’s monsoon.
Statewide, 223 tankers—207 private and 16 government-owned—have been deployed to cater to 178 villages and 606 hamlets across 14 districts. Although there is a rise in tanker usage this season, the numbers are lower compared to the same time last year.
Environmentalists, however, warn that growing reliance on water tankers, especially in ecologically sensitive zones. Solutions such as rainwater harvesting, watershed development, and groundwater recharge should be prioritized over short-term fixes.
