The Ahilyanagar water crisis has intensified, with 155 tankers now supplying drinking water to 152 villages and 878 hamlets across nine talukas, according to a report by Sakal. The emergency affects around three lakh people as the district continues to face the consequences of a weak monsoon and officially declared drought conditions across all 14 talukas.
Pathardi taluka has the largest tanker operation, with 69 tankers supplying water to 56 villages and about 1.27 lakh residents. Karjat follows, where 21 tankers are serving 25 villages and approximately 42,000 people. In Shevgaon, 20 tankers are supplying 28 villages and around 45,000 residents, while 19 tankers are operating across 19 villages in Nagar taluka, reaching about 43,000 people.
The remaining tanker supply is spread across Jamkhed, Sangamner, Parner, Shrigonda and Nevasa talukas. The report states that eight tankers are operating in Jamkhed, seven in Sangamner, five in Parner, four in Shrigonda and two in Nevasa. The concentration of tankers in Pathardi, Karjat, Shevgaon and Nagar reflects the sharper water stress in the district’s drought-prone belt.
The shortage has emerged before the end of the wider monsoon cycle described in the report. Ahilyanagar recorded 299 millimetres of rainfall between June and September against an average of 448 millimetres, equivalent to 66.7% of the average. September was particularly deficient, with 45 millimetres recorded against an average of 147 millimetres, or 30.6% of the average.
The rainfall deficit has also damaged agriculture. The report says that nearly 95% of kharif crops have been lost because of a prolonged break in rainfall. With temperatures rising during the October heat, the effects of the weak monsoon are now extending from farm losses to household drinking-water supplies. This shift increases pressure on district and taluka administrations to maintain tanker schedules, identify reliable water sources and ensure that dispersed hamlets are not left out of the emergency network.
The current arrangement also shows how quickly water administration can move from regular local supply systems to costly emergency logistics. Tankers must cover villages as well as smaller settlements and hamlets, creating a broader distribution challenge than serving formally recognised village centres alone. For residents, access depends not only on the availability of water but also on the frequency, route and timing of tanker deliveries.
According to the Sakal report, the state government has declared drought across all 14 talukas of Ahilyanagar district. The immediate response remains the continuation of tanker supply to the affected villages and hamlets. The report does not provide a date for withdrawal of the tanker programme or details of additional long-term water-supply measures.
