PUNE: Maharashtra has seen an 86.6% rise in water tanker deployment over the past month, with the number of villages requiring emergency water supplies increasing by more than 75%, according to the state drinking water and sanitation department.
Five districts account for most tanker deployments, with Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar reporting 169 tankers, Beed 166, Ahilyanagar 161, Solapur 123 and Jalna 29, according to department officials.
State drinking water and sanitation minister Gulabrao Patil told HT that demand for water tankers was rising sharply across districts.
“During the same period in the previous two years, there was no demand for water tankers from any district. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had also warned of the growing need for water tankers when he visited Nashik a few days ago to attend a programme.
The state government is prepared to provide as many tankers as the districts require to meet people’s water needs,” Patil said. A department official, who requested anonymity, said the demand for tankers was increasing sharply every week.
20 districts have not yet deployed water tankers, according to department data.
“By May-June next year, the demand for water tankers could be substantial, comparable to the situation the state faced in 2016 and 2019,” the official said. The official said water remained available in rural areas of these districts through sources such as wells.
