Pune's Hilltop Ecosystems Face Crisis as Tanker Strike Coincides with Scorching Heatwave
The survival of thousands of trees and birds on Pune's tekdis, or hillocks, is under severe threat due to a water tanker strike that has hit the city during its hottest spell of the summer so far. With temperatures soaring to nearly 42°C in Lohegaon and about 40°C in Shivajinagar, the demand for water has skyrocketed, putting immense pressure on these fragile ecosystems.
Critical Water Shortages Endanger Afforestation Efforts
Several tekdi plantations heavily depend on tanker water for irrigation. Bhupesh Sharma, secretary of the Anandvan Foundation, which conducts afforestation drives in the Anandvan Reserve Forest area, highlighted the dire situation. "The heat impact is very high. The water we store for birds is drying up within 24 hours. The heat over the last four-five days has made it worse," he said. The site, sprawling over around 250 acres with nearly 85,000 plants, requires daily watering of 10,000 to 15,000 trees, translating to an estimated two lakh litres of water per day—sourced entirely through tankers.
Sharma added, "The tanker water supply stopped from Tuesday because of the strike. We tried to store some water, but it's not enough to sustain the plantations long-term."
Long-Term Plantation Care at Risk
Pandurang Chandrakant Bhujbal, founder member of Vasundhara Abhiyan Baner, an environmental NGO working on the Baner-Pashan hills since 2006, emphasized the vulnerability of newly planted saplings. The group has planted over 55,000 indigenous saplings so far and adds 4,000–5,000 plants every monsoon. These saplings require sustained care for several years to survive, especially under harsh summer conditions.
"In temperatures of around 40°C, and on rocky hill terrain, these plants require a large volume of water. We need around five to six tankers per day," Bhujbal explained. He noted that the supply had dropped significantly because of the tanker operators' strike, warning, "Water was falling short and prolonged disruption could have put plantations at risk."
Logistical Challenges and Alternative Solutions
At Warje Urban Forest, tanker availability had been a concern even before the strike due to logistical challenges and lack of institutional support. Kishor Moholkar, founder of Yogdevvan Foundation, which manages plantation efforts at Smriti Van in Warje, said the area spans roughly 60 hectares and faces persistent water access issues. "Some plants dried up because of lack of water," he reported, underscoring the urgency of the situation.
In response to rising temperatures and unreliable tanker supply, some groups have developed innovative alternative systems. Ravindra Sinha of Baner Pashan Link Road Welfare Trust shared their approach: "We have connected two housing societies in Pashan to our plantation sites using flexible HDPE (high-density polyethylene) pipes. These societies have their own sewage treatment plants and provide us treated water a few times a week."
He added, "This water is essential for the survival of hundreds of saplings. We rely on this recycled water and regular mulching to keep plants alive during extreme heat." This highlights the community-driven efforts to mitigate the crisis, but such solutions are not widespread enough to cover all affected areas.
The combination of a water tanker strike and intense heatwave poses a significant threat to Pune's hilltop ecosystems, with environmental groups calling for immediate action to prevent irreversible damage to the city's green cover and wildlife habitats.
