Marathwada accounts for nearly 45% of the tankers deployed for drinking water supply across Maharashtra, with the region continuing to depend heavily on tanker-based water supply despite the monsoon.
Solapur has recorded a sharp increase in tanker-based drinking water supply in just one week. The sharp increase in tanker dependence in Solapur raises concerns over the availability of drinking water sources and the sustainability of water supplies in the coming months. Within northern Maharashtra, Ahilyanagar accounts for a particularly large share of the total deployment, with 118 tankers currently supplying drinking water. The figure means that nearly nine out of every 10 tankers operating in north Maharashtra are deployed in Ahilyanagar alone. In the Pune division, 132 tankers are currently in operation. Solapur has the highest deployment at 63, followed by Satara at 38, Sangli at 24, and Pune district at seven. The number of villages receiving tanker water rose from 57 during September 7-13 to 77 during September 14-20; while the number of affected wadis increased from 233 to 338. The number of tankers deployed in Solapur also increased from 47 to 63 during the same period. Thus, in a week, tanker coverage expanded by 20 villages and 105 wadis, requiring 16 additional tankers.
Officials said that the concentration of tankers in parts of Marathwada and other regions reflects persistent water stress and continued reliance on emergency drinking water arrangements despite the recent rainfall.
