Pune: Water tanker operators in several areas including Undri, Mohammadwadi and NIBM Road have threatened to go on strike from Wednesday, alleging harassment by the police over fines imposed for not having cleaners (assistants) on their vehicles.The move has raised concerns of a severe water crisis because majority of housing societies in these localities depend heavily on tanker supply for their daily water needs. The call for protest from operators came after the police stepped up cracking down on these vehicles for violations following two recent fatal accidents involving water tankers. Violations included absence of helpers, who are considered crucial for safety.Nishikant Lonkar, the owner of Lonkar tanker service, said, “The strike is expected to happen. All fault is not of tanker drivers. We face too many problems while delivering the service. Consumers should also see and realise that,” he said.Nanasaheb Ghule Patil, owner of Vignaharta Water Tanker Service, said some operators had already stopped supplying water from Tuesday afternoon and a complete shutdown was likely from Wednesday. He claimed tanker operators were being unfairly targeted and labelled as a ‘mafia’ despite providing an essential service in areas where the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has failed to ensure adequate water supply.Jaymala Dhankikar, a social workers and resident of Ganga Kingston Housing Society, demanded that authorities must consider cancelling existing tanker contracts and bringing in new operators to ensure uninterrupted supply and accountability. She criticised tanker drivers for reckless behaviour and urged them to cooperate with authorities and prioritise safety. “They should have some shame left in them and stop blackmailing people if they were not mafias,” she said.Residents, however, have largely supported the police enforcement. Tara Singh, president of Anandvan Parisar Residents Foundation, said the strong turnout at recent protests reflected widespread anger against tanker operators. “The PMC must take responsibility for water supply, but having helpers on tankers could help prevent accidents. Better training of drivers in coordination with the PMC and the RTO was the need of the hour,” he told TOI.“Several tanker operators have been fined Rs 1,500 in recent days for not employing helpers. Other heavy vehicles operating in the same areas were not being penalized for the same. Hiring helpers would increase operational costs, which would ultimately be passed on to housing societies,” Patil said. He added that currently, tanker services charge between Rs 800 and Rs 1000 per trip, with many large societies requiring 30 to 40 tankers daily. Around 80 tankers operate in these areas, each making an average of 10 trips per day.“The strike, however, can extend to other areas as well,” he claimed.Another resident, Anand Dixit of Raheja Vistas, echoed safety concerns, saying many locals feel unsafe now because of the movement of these tankers. “Residents often stop their vehicles to avoid tankers and that some have even curtailed their walks. On Sunday, a corporator caught a tanker driver who was driving under the influence of liquor. We have indeed been dependent on the tankers for water, but they can’t be given a free hand to do whatever they want to,” he told TOI.Tanker operators said they would conduct a meeting on Tuesday evening and decide their further course of action.
