Pune: Irregular supply and reports of muddy, discoloured water from PMC have triggered a sharp spike in demand for 20-litre packaged drinking water cans across the city. Suppliers and distributors said households, housing societies, and small businesses were placing larger, more frequent orders as a precautionary measure for drinking and cooking.The shift comes amid rising health concerns. “Last month, several people in our society suffered from gastroenteritis after consuming discoloured water from our RO units. Now, we are all purchasing bottled water as a safety measure,” said a resident of Pimpri-Chinchwad.Pravin Sankpal, a resident of NIBM, echoed these concerns. “We have been relying on a vendor for packaged water for a month now. We don’t want to risk infections, especially since the tap water has been muddy for at least the last 20 days.”Nandkishor Jagtap, head of Pune Municipal Corporation’s (PMC) water supply department, attributed the issue to seasonal challenges. “Incoming turbidity is high due to the monsoon, and some of our older water treatment plants are currently overloaded. This year, the turbidity is higher than usual because the monsoon started late,” Jagtap said.He said 30–40% of the city, including Peth areas, Bibwewadi, Hadapsar, and Katraj-Kondhwa, was experiencing slightly higher turbidity. “The issue should resolve within the next 15–20 days. In the meantime, residents can use alum to settle suspended particles, followed by filtering and boiling the water,” Jagtap said.Distributors said the demand for RO-packaged water has surged by 20–30% compared to last year. “We usually see a peak during summer, but this year there is a massive mid-monsoon increase. Housing societies and offices are ordering much more than usual,” said Alok Verma, a vendor in Hadapsar.Rohit Nikalje, another distributor, said the trend is particularly strong in Kondhwa, Katraj, and Hadapsar. However, the surge is also causing supply chain issues for premium brands.“Branded stock like Bisleri, which used to arrive daily, is now only coming once a week. Electricity issues at their plant appear to be hampering production,” said Akshay Bhatewara of Megh Trading in Pimpri-Chinchwad.The shortage of branded water has led many to switch to local RO suppliers. Digvijay Kakkad, a resident of Baner, said, “Branded 20-litre cans cost around Rs120, while local RO cans are available for Rs50–Rs60. Given the current situation, we have been ordering the local ones.”The trend isn’t limited to homes. Surendra Samre, who runs Pure Well Enterprises in Aundh, has seen a rise in corporate clients. “I’ve received several new orders from offices on Law College Road. They have requested consistent supply for at least two months until the municipal water issues ease off,” he said.
