Pune:Immediate SOPs and their strict implementation are residents’ antidotes for reckless tanker driving.Housing societies in NIBM-Undri and Wanowrie areas demanded strict standard operating procedures (SOPs) to regulate tankers’ movement, after two recent fatal accidents involving private water carriers. Their representatives said tanker water supply was essential for them but authorities must immediately introduce SOPs to regulate tankers’ movement. They stressed on strict monitoring of tanker operations and road safety awareness among operators.Two youngsters – Pargenagar’s Aariz Shaikh (19) and Wanowrie’s Gracia Daniel Isa (22) – were killed after separate water tankers hit their two-wheelers on NIBM-Raheja Vista Road and near Ganga Satellite society in Wanowrie on Sunday and Tuesday, respectively.The reckless tanker driving issue was discussed multiple times in water committee meetings, held to review the water availability in Pune, Pimpri Chinchwad and areas under Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA). The high court directed regular water committee meetings to address tanker dependence and water supply gaps after some housing societies filed a PIL over worsening urban water shortage.Satya Muley, the lawyer representing the housing societies in the PIL and coordinating water committee meetings on their behalf, said tanker movement had increased manifold because of summer scarcity and SOPs must be implemented without delay. “We have repeatedly advised the PMC (Pune Municipal Corporation) and other local bodies that tanker water supply is essential, but SOPs must be put in place to regulate tankers’ movement, ensure proper monitoring of operations and implement speed checks for safety,” he said.He said the issue was highlighted in a water committee meeting even a year ago. Authorities were advised to conduct a census of private tankers, identify and record water sources, introduce water quality checks and regulate tanker operations, but the implementation is still pending.Sunil Kaloti of Mohammadwadi Undri Residents Welfare Development Foundation said, “It is a Catch-22 situation. Residents in Mohammadwadi and Undri are largely dependent on tankers for water, but these must operate under strict monitoring with GPS tracking and speed limits. Repeated rash and drunk driving by tanker operators have been reported. We plan to approach traffic police and seek data on tanker hit-and-run deaths in the recent past for stricter action.“Jaymala Dhankikar, a resident of Ganga Kingston Society in NIBM Annex and a civic activist, said, “There is no proper record or verification of drivers operating these tankers. The accident where a tanker driver, allegedly drunk, killed a 19-year-old highlights the seriousness of the issue.”She suggested that the administration consider restricting the movement of water tankers during the daytime. “They should ideally be allowed to operate only at night when the traffic is minimal,” Dhankikar said.NitinD’souza, a resident of Archana Paradise society and another civic activist, said narrow roads and rampant encroachments had made commuting difficult. “There is barely any space left for vehicles, let alone pedestrians. Tanker drivers frequently violate traffic rules and engage in rash driving. We recently caught a driver who didn’t even have a valid licence,” D’souza said.Highlighting the larger concern, Dsouza said residents had little option but to depend on private water tankers because of lack of adequate municipal supply.“Even as the civic body continues to approve new projects, there is no water supply in the area. As a result, housing societies are forced to spend lakhs of rupees on tankers, and the movement of these heavy vehicles is increasing day by day, increasing the risk of accidents,” he said.Naveen Sharma, a resident of Wanowrie, said water tankers headed towards Undri and the NIBM area were frequently driven recklessly. “The traffic police and authorities concerned must take strict action, only then can accidents involving these heavy vehicles be prevented,” he said.
