Demand for water tankers highest in Maharashtra in five years

As per water tanker records maintained by the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, the worst-affected regions in the state include Nashik, Pune and Marathwada regions, which collectively account for over 50 per cent of the villages in Maharashtra that are affected. But the greater worry is the delay in the arrival of monsoon this year, which is not likely to reach Maharashtra before the third week of June.

“The demand for tankers has shot up since the end of April. A residential society, which required one tanker for two days, is now demanding two tankers daily. The number of requests for tankers from many residential areas has increased. The water sources are shrinking and we will have to start turning away customers,” said a worker with Sheetal Tankers in Pimple Gurav.

As per the latest records, a total of 3,103 tankers have been pressed into service to supply water to 2,190 villages in Marathwada. For the 1,014 villages in Nashik region, a total of 1,216 tankers are being used while in Pune region, 791 affected villages are supported by 957 tankers.