Pune district has approved 294 new borewell schemes and started tanker water supply to five villages and 53 hamlets as rural areas continue to face localised water scarcity. Eight tankers are currently supplying water to around 18,650 residents, according to the Zilla Parishad’s rural water-supply department.
The tanker operations are concentrated in Baramati, Daund and Indapur talukas. The district administration is reviewing conditions in the affected areas and approving additional tankers when required. Wells and borewells are also being acquired privately to maintain supplies where existing sources are inadequate.
The district has recorded an average 819 millimetres of rainfall so far, equivalent to about 95% of its average rainfall. However, the rainfall has not prevented shortages in all rural settlements, making local water-source availability and the condition of supply infrastructure important factors in determining access.
The rural water-supply department has reported that most tanker trips are being completed according to plan. The administration is monitoring the situation and working to keep supplies regular in the affected villages and hamlets.
To strengthen existing systems, the government has granted administrative approval for special repairs to 33 rural piped water-supply schemes. Approval has also been given for 10 source-strengthening works and 21 works involving well deepening and desilting. The combined funding approved for these works is approximately ₹5.36 crore. Work on the regional water-supply schemes serving Morgaon, Bele and Shivri has been completed, according to the department.
A further 611 borewell repair works have received approval, with an estimated allocation of ₹2.56 crore. These repairs are intended to restore borewells that have stopped functioning or are operating below capacity, allowing them to contribute again to regular rural water supply.
The 294 newly approved borewell schemes have an estimated allocation of ₹2.49 crore. The department said drilling of all the related borewells has been completed. The additional sources are expected to support villages where existing water infrastructure cannot meet demand during periods of scarcity.
The latest measures combine short-term emergency supply through tankers with repairs and new groundwater sources. Their implementation will determine how quickly affected settlements move away from dependence on scheduled tanker trips. The district administration and rural water-supply department have also begun preparing a water-scarcity mitigation plan for the period from October 2026 to June 2027, with instructions issued to the officials concerned.
