Tanker Town Pune | Why a city surrounded by 4 massive dams is running dry this summer
Pune faces recurring summer water shortages despite 4 dams, as a rising population, supply losses, outdated quotas, and city expansion strain resources.
A significant part of Pune’s water problem is internal – an estimated 32 per cent of water is lost due to leakages in the supply system. (Representative Image) Every summer, as the mercury rises, so does the desperation in large parts of Pune. Taps run dry, tankers line up in colonies, and thousands of citizens are left scrambling for their most basic need – drinking water. And this is the situation in a city that draws from four dams.
The irony runs deep. Pune is among the fastest-growing cities in the country, yet its water supply system is struggling to keep pace. The challenge before the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is stark: how to ensure equitable and sufficient water to a swelling population, when its sources are stretched, its infrastructure is aging, and its hands are tied by an outdated government quota.
A city that has outgrown its sanctioned water share
The PMC area has expanded fourfold in the last 40 years – from 125 sq km in 1987 to 508 sq km in 2021 after three expansions. The population, which was at 70 lakh in 2021, has grown to an estimated 77.76 lakh in 2025-26, putting enormous pressure on the civic body.
Going by the government norm of 135 litres per day per capita, Pune needs 21.03 TMC of water per year. But the state water resource department, which owns the dams, has sanctioned only 16.36 TMC – refusing to recognise the city’s rising population. The PMC has been continuously pressing for an increased quota, but instead faces a penalty of Rs 147 crore per year for drawing beyond the sanctioned limit. The dues have now mounted to Rs 1,020 crore, which the civic body has been contesting.
4 dams and a fifth in the pipeline
Pune draws water from a chain of dams – Khadakwasla, Panshet, Varasgaon, and Temghar – upstream of the Mutha River. In recent years, it has also started drawing from the Bhama Askhed dam to address shortages in specific areas.
The civic body has sought permission to draw an additional 5 TMC from the Mulshi dam, receiving an in-principle nod from the state government. However, no official communication has been issued to the PMC to begin drawing from Mulshi.
“There is no issue of water shortage for Pune city as ample water is available in the dams,” said an officer of the state water resource department, while acknowledging that water supply to rural parts of Pune has reduced due to higher urban consumption. “Industrial growth also has an impact on the water situation,” the officer added.
Leakages, losses, and the unfulfilled 24×7 dream
A significant part of Pune’s water problem is internal – an estimated 32 per cent of water is lost due to leakages in the supply system. The PMC is installing meters across the city to verify the exact extent of these losses.
The ongoing 24×7 water supply project, which involves laying new pipelines and constructing overhead water tanks across the city, is aimed at reducing water loss while ensuring equitable supply to all. The civic body claims to have completed 85 per cent of the work in the old city area.
Merged villages, unfinished pipelines
After the last expansion of civic limits with the merger of 32 villages, PMC has undertaken a Rs 446 crore project for setting up a water treatment plant and pipeline network for seven villages, while preparing Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for 25 others.
Of these 25 villages, a water supply scheme costing Rs 890 crore has been proposed for 12 villages affected by Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS), which currently receive only chlorinated but untreated raw water. The plan includes a 200 MLD water treatment plant, a 71 km main transmission line, and 390 km of distribution lines to benefit 7.78 lakh people by 2052. An additional Rs 1,156 crore is estimated for water supply schemes in the remaining 13 villages.
The increasing demand with the city’s expansion has forced the PMC to implement schemes in phases due to the massive investment required, leaving mostly suburban areas dependent on tankers in the lurch.
Private tankers: Filling the gap, raising the risk
The PMC runs its own tanker fleet, but it is far too small to meet city-wide demand. Private tankers fill the gap across most localities – entirely beyond the control of the PMC or any other authority.
These tankers draw water from whatever source is available – wells or borewells, many of which are polluted. The city has 23 small water bodies, but no data exists on the total number of wells and borewells being tapped. The PMC has been urging citizens to get tanker water tested before use to avoid waterborne infections.
On the ground: Tankers as a daily lifeline
The PMC currently supplies water to 80 per cent of Narhe village; the remaining 20 per cent lacks network infrastructure. In newly merged villages – Holkarwadi, Handewadi, Autadewadi, Vadachiwadi, Undri, and Pisoli – the old pipeline network is insufficient, and the PMC deploys 210 tankers every day to meet demand.
Tanker dependency is widespread across Manjari on Solapur Road, Wagholi and Lohegaon on Nagar Road, villages along Sinhagad Road, and Sus and Bavdhan on Sus Road – a daily reminder of how far Pune’s water infrastructure still has to go.
(This article is part of The Indian Express series on the water crisis in Pune.)
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