Tanker economy thrives as Panvel reels under water crisis

According to officials, the daily demand for water in Panvel and adjoining areas is estimated at 320 MLD against a supply of around 230 MLD

Panvel: With Panvel and adjoining areas facing a crippling 90-million litres per day (MLD) water deficit, forcing even residents of gleaming highrises to rely on water tankers and ration supplies, politicians across the ruling and opposition parties are demanding urgent measures to address the situation.

Medium-sized housing societies spend around ₹8 lakh annually on water tankers, while larger complexes spend up to ₹20 lakh (Bachchan Kumar/Hindustan Times)

On May 8, Panvel Mayor Nitin Patil will hold a ‘Paani Parishad’ to review the crisis and regulate tanker distribution. Panvel MLA and BJP leader Prashant Thakur has already sought a freeze on new occupancy certificates and water connections until the supply stabilises, while PWP leader and opposition leader in the Panvel Municipal Corporation (PMC) Arvind Pundalik Mhatre has announced a “Janmorcha” on May 17 at the Kamothe Water Supply Centre to protest shortages affecting 29 villages and PMC areas.

Meanwhile, a multi-crore private tanker economy has replaced municipal water supply in large parts of Kharghar, Taloja, Kamothe, Kalamboli, Roadpali, New Panvel, and Karanjade, forcing housing societies to pay exorbitant charges on top of regular municipal water bills, residents of the area told Hindustan Times.

HT graphic

According to officials, the daily demand for water in Panvel and adjoining areas is estimated at 320 MLD against a supply of around 230 MLD, while water shortage in PMC areas alone is nearly 30 MLD. Water supply in the region is managed by a fragmented network comprising the City And Industrial Development Corporation (Cidco), the Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran, Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation, and the PMC. While water is primarily drawn from the Hetawane and Patalganga systems, explosive urban growth has outpaced distribution capacity, officials said.

Residents blame Cidco

Residents, however, blamed delayed augmentation projects, pipeline failures, and poor inter-agency coordination for the crisis. The problem is particularly acute in Kharghar and Taloja, where newly developed Cidco colonies in sectors 30 to 38 are among the worst hit, facing an estimated deficit of more than 10 MLD.

Kharghar requires around 80 MLD water but gets only around 70 MLD, said Mangesh Ranawade, chairman of the Kharghar-Taloja Colonies Welfare Association.

“In sectors 30-38 alone, the requirement is nearly 10 MLD, but only 7 MLD is supplied. Around 200,000 residents in this belt are affected by recurring disruptions, and uneven valve distribution by Cidco is worsening the shortage,” Ranawade said.

Taloja resident Shahjehan Chougule said water was often unavailable for 2-3 days at a stretch, and in some pockets, even for a week.

“In desperation, many people have installed booster pumps that illegally draw water from weak supply lines,” said Chougule.

For many, daily life now revolves entirely around unpredictable supply windows. When water does flow, it lasts barely 30-60 minutes with pressure too low to fill overhead tanks, said residents.

“The water problem is so serious that we are exhausted trying to supply water to people in the society,” said Rahim Manyar, chairman of Paramount Heights in Taloja.

Minaz Kazi, a resident of New Panvel’s Bluefig Tower Residency said, “If we delay paying Cidco bills even by a day, officials immediately demand dues, but we still do not get water on time.”

Despite years of protests, the situation had not improved, Mazi rued.

Tanker economy

The severe scarcity has triggered a full-scale tanker economy, with housing societies spending lakhs to procure water for basic needs. In Kharghar’s sector 35, the 163-flat Arihant Anaya Society procures 4-5 tankers daily at ₹2,700 each, said secretary Vishal Vikram.

“In the past eight days alone, we have had to order 35 tankers,” Vikram said.

The Bhumi Gardenia Society in Roadpali, Kalamboli, which has 496 apartments, requires more than 300 tankers a month, which costs around ₹6 lakh, while Mahavir Heritage CHS spends nearly ₹10 lakh per month to keep its taps running.

“Nearly 150 housing societies in sectors 30-38 in Kharghar are completely dependent on private tankers,” Ranawade said. “In sectors 30-36, the annual expense on water tankers is nearly ₹6.5 crore.”

Medium-sized housing societies spend around ₹8 lakh annually on water tankers, while larger complexes spend up to ₹20 lakh, said Ranawade.

Despite the steep rates, supply by tankers too was delayed, sometimes by 24 hours, residents said.

Work in progress

Officials said technical disruptions, including pipeline faults across the Retibandar–Belapur creek and repairs on the Hetawane main line, have triggered repeated shutdowns, affecting water supply across Panvel and adjoining areas.

Political representatives pointed to severe delays in the Nhava Sheva Phase III project, originally slated for completion in 2023.

Cidco officials assured that tunnel-based augmentation works under the Hetawane system would boost capacity from 150 MLD to 270 MLD in phases, while pipeline replacements would add another 10-15 MLD, which would ease the shortage substantially.

PMC Commissioner Mangesh Chitale said the civic body was coordinating with multiple agencies to streamline distribution and fast-track long-term solutions, such as the proposed Shilar dam.