Tackling El Nino effect: From 86 to 466, Maharashtra sees steady rise in water tankers in 30 days

May 10, 2026 Headlinesnews

3 min readMumbaiUpdated: May 10, 2026 07:57 PM IST

Over the course of one month, the number of water tankers deployed in Maharashtra’s villages and hamlets has increased from 86 in the first week of April to 466 in the first week of May, data from the state’s Water Supply and Sanitation department shows.

The number of villages and hamlets using the water tankers too have increased from 62 and 277 in April to 411 and 1194 in May, respectively. The steady increase in the wake of possible threat of El Niño has put the administration on alert.

Despite this increase in the number of tankers, when compared with the previous years, the data stands much lower. In the year 2025, Maharashtra was using 1057 tankers in the first week of May, compared to 466 in this year.

“While there is a steady increase in the number of water tankers being used over the last month, the situation is under control. We are keeping a close watch, especially on the possibility of El-Niño,” said a senior official from the department.

The official said that the reason behind less number of tankers being used is the heavy rainfall in the previous year and subsequent recharge of water bodies, especially ground water which has helped this year. “Last year’s rain has helped the state to survive one of the toughest summers till now. We have to prepare for the worse now,” he said.

As per the data, the highest number of water tankers (138) are deployed in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar division, within which, the highest (100) is in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district.
It is followed by 127 water tankers in Konkan division.

Meanwhile, Nagpur division which covers Nagpur, Gadchiroli, Bhandara, Gordita, Wardha and Chandrapur have zero tankers in use. Amaravati division, which is the second division in Vidarbha region after Nagpur has only seven tankers in use.

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Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday had directed that water conservation projects and works under the Jalyukt Shivar campaign 2.0 must be completed on a war footing in view of the looming threat of El Niño. He further instructed that priority should be given to areas with declining groundwater levels, with focused efforts to replenish them. Earlier in April, he directed officials to enforce stringent water planning and conservation measures to ensure adequate drinking water supply till the end of August 2026, warning of potential rainfall disruptions due to the El-Niño phenomenon.

Alok Deshpande is a Special Correspondent with The Indian Express’ Mumbai bureau, recognized for his focused and authoritative reporting on governance, politics, and the socio-economic dynamics of Maharashtra’s hinterlands. His unique academic background in Geology and early work in the water sector provides a specialized layer of Expertise to his reporting on resource and environmental issues.
Expertise

Current Role: Special Correspondent, The Indian Express, Mumbai.

Core Authority: Alok provides detailed coverage of Maharashtra politics and governance, with a particular emphasis on how policies and power struggles affect the rural and semi-urban areas (the ‘hinterlands’).

Key Coverage Areas: His reports frequently focus on high-stakes administrative and political topics, including:

State Assembly Proceedings: In-depth reporting on the Legislative Assembly, covering ministerial statements, legislative debates, and inter-party conflict within the ruling Mahayuti alliance.

Policy & Finance: Coverage of state finances, including supplementary budget demands, fiscal deficits, and major government schemes (e.g., Jal Jeevan Mission, Ladki Bahin Yojana).

Rural and Social Issues: Reports on critical health issues (e.g., child deaths in districts), human-animal conflict (leopard attacks, stray dogs), and agrarian concerns (e.g., farmer suicides).

Local and Urban Governance: Covers major announcements regarding urban development (e.g., BMC’s OC amnesty scheme, pagdi system push) and local body elections, including political defections and alliance splits.

Unique Credentials & Trustworthiness

Academic Specialization: Holds a Post-graduate degree in Geology. This background gives him a foundational understanding of natural resources, which directly informs his reporting on environment, water, and infrastructure projects.

Early Professional Experience: His shift to journalism came after working with an NGO focused on the water sector. This practical experience strengthens his Expertise in critical areas like water management and rural development, as evidenced by his reporting on the Jal Jeevan Mission.

Journalism Training: An alumnus of the prestigious Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), Chennai, confirming his formal training and commitment to rigorous journalistic standards.

Alok Deshpande’s rare combination of scientific education, non-profit sector experience, and deep political reporting makes him a highly trusted and authoritative voice on the governance and ground realities of Maharashtra.
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