PMC Plans Cab-Style App to Book Water Tankers at Fixed Rates as Residents Pay ₹700 to ₹1,200 a Tanker
PMC plans an app to book water tankers at transparent rates, modelled on a system used by 104 societies in Sus and Mahalunge. Residents now pay Rs 700 to Rs 1,200.
Photo: shankar s. / CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Pune, 6th November 2026: Booking a water tanker in Pune could soon work like booking a cab. The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) plans to launch a mobile app that lets residents order tankers at fixed, transparent rates, as water cuts push up demand and complaints of overcharging grow.
Residents in the old city and the merged villages currently pay between ₹700 and ₹1,200 per tanker, according to a report by Punekar News. The PMC has received complaints about private operators charging far more during shortages.
Based on a system already running in Sus and Mahalunge
The app will extend a platform already used to supply tankers to 104 housing societies in Sus and Mahalunge. Here is how it works there:
- The society chairperson registers the water requirement on the app.
- The app shows tanker availability and expected delivery time.
- The society gets the tanker’s registration number, driver’s contact and a one-time password (OTP).
- After water is delivered, the OTP is shared with the driver to close the order.
This creates a record of every trip, which makes it harder to bill for tankers that never arrived.
When will it launch
The PMC had said it wanted the app within two months. Water supply chief engineer Nandkishor Jagtap said the tender was delayed by the model code of conduct for the Legislative Council elections and will begin once the code is lifted. The project is estimated to cost about ₹35 lakh over three years. The idea was first discussed about six months ago but shelved when dams filled in July.
Meanwhile
Water supply is shut across the city every Thursday (the November 5 cut was cancelled for Diwali), and the PMC is considering alternate-day supply. Read our latest on Pune’s water quota. Until the app arrives, ask your society to agree a written rate with one operator and keep receipts. Complaints about overcharging can go to the PMC through its complaint channels.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a water tanker cost in Pune?
Residents currently report paying ₹700 to ₹1,200 per tanker, depending on area and demand.
When will PMC’s water tanker app launch?
No launch date is fixed. The tender process was held up by the election code of conduct and will begin after it is lifted.
How will the PMC tanker app prevent overcharging?
Bookings will be at set rates, and each delivery is closed with an OTP, creating a record of tanker number, driver and delivery.
