Pune Municipal Corporation’s OTP-based tanker management system remains largely non-operational six months after its announcement, with the system reportedly functioning only in Sus and Mhalunge, according to a report by Lokmat – Pune. The delay has prompted the Sajag Nagrik Manch to ask when the system will be implemented across the city.
The system was announced to prevent bogus tanker-trip records, water diversion and irregularities in the distribution of municipal water. Under the proposed process, a tanker’s delivery would be verified through a one-time password sent by SMS to the concerned resident or housing society.
The OTP would have to be entered into the system before the tanker unloads its water. A trip would not be treated as complete unless the code was recorded. The arrangement was intended to create a digital confirmation that water had reached the designated location and to reduce the possibility of false entries in tanker operations.
The municipal corporation had indicated that the system would be introduced across Pune, including Pashan, Baner, Mhalunge and Balewadi. However, the report states that implementation has not extended to most other areas, leaving the city without a uniform mechanism to verify tanker deliveries.
For residents and housing societies dependent on tankers, the absence of a city-wide verification system affects more than record-keeping. Without a common digital confirmation process, it becomes harder to establish whether a scheduled trip was completed, whether the tanker reached the designated location and whether the delivery was recorded accurately. The report does not provide city-wide figures on tanker trips, expenditure or disputed deliveries.
The issue comes as concerns over water availability could increase tanker dependence. Sajag Nagrik Manch representative Vivek Velankar said in a memorandum to the municipal commissioner that the OTP system should be started immediately at all tanker points across Pune. He also warned that citizens should not be subjected to exploitation and called for effective control over water distribution.
The OTP system is therefore tied to the municipal corporation’s ability to monitor tanker operations at the final point of delivery, rather than only at the dispatch stage. Its present operation in Sus and Mhalunge indicates partial implementation, but the supplied report does not state when the corporation will extend it to the remaining tanker points. The next publicly stated step is the citizens’ group’s demand for immediate city-wide implementation through the commissioner’s office.
