The Pune water crisis has prompted tanker supplies to five villages and 53 hamlets in the district, with approximately 18,650 residents currently dependent on emergency water deliveries, according to the Zilla Parishad’s Rural Water Supply Department. Eight tankers are operating in the affected areas, including parts of Baramati, Daund and Indapur talukas.
The administration is monitoring local water availability and approving additional tanker services where required. The department said most tanker trips were being completed according to schedule as authorities continued efforts to maintain supplies in rural settlements facing scarcity.
The water shortage has persisted despite Pune district recording 819 mm of average rainfall so far, equivalent to about 95% of its average rainfall. The continuing scarcity in parts of the district indicates that rainfall totals have not translated into adequate or reliable water availability for all rural communities.
To strengthen local water sources, the administration has approved 294 new borewell projects at an estimated cost of approximately ₹2.49 crore. Drilling for all the approved borewells has been completed, the department reported. Authorities have also approved 611 borewell repair works, with an estimated allocation of ₹2.56 crore, to restore defunct sources and improve the output of borewells supplying inadequate quantities of water.
The administration is also acquiring private wells and borewells where necessary to support water supply in scarcity-affected areas. These measures are being implemented alongside tanker operations, which remain the immediate supply arrangement for the affected villages and hamlets.
In a separate set of measures, the government has granted administrative approval for special repairs to 33 rural piped water supply schemes. Approval has also been given for 10 water-source strengthening works and 21 projects involving well deepening and desilting. Together, these works have received approximately ₹5.36 crore in sanctioned funding.
The Rural Water Supply Department also reported that work under regional water supply schemes at Morgaon, Regional Bele and Regional Shivri has been completed. The department did not provide details in the supplied report on the additional population served by these schemes or the volume of water expected to become available through the completed works.
The district administration and the Rural Water Supply Department are preparing a contingency plan covering October 2026 to June 2027, a period during which officials expect to manage potential water shortages through planned interventions. Officials have been instructed to take measures required to ensure adequate supply in rural areas.
The administration said it would continue monitoring conditions and implement tanker operations, borewell works, repairs and other water-supply measures according to local requirements. The contingency plan for the October 2026-June 2027 period is the next stated administrative step.
