Amid water cut, Pune civic body slammed after video of tanker watering plants in rain goes viral

2 min readPuneUpdated: Jul 4, 2026 11:03 AM IST

A video of a water tanker irrigating plants along a divider in the rain on Paud Road surfaced. (Photo: Videograb)

Pune Municipal Corporation has faced the ire of citizens after a video of a water tanker irrigating plants along a divider in the rain on Paud Road surfaced, with the civic body being called out for wasting water at a time when the city faces a water cut.

“The particular road divider is maintained and supervised by the Pune Metro. There is a bridge for the elevated Metro route above the divider which spans a very large area. The road divider is in the middle. Rainwater does not fall along this place. The employee is watering the plants to save them,” said additional municipal commissioner Omprakash Divate.

BJP leader Sandeep Khardekar sought clarification from the civic administration, urging for action against those found watering plants in the rain.

“Today, a video of a tanker watering trees in heavy rain has gone viral on all social media and the Pune civic body and its corporators were mocked. There is a lot of criticism over it,” he said, adding he will get to the root of the matter.

He found the persons involved in the incident and spoke to both the tanker owner and then the person who rented his tanker.

Khardekar said the PMC administration should immediately investigate the revelations. He added that the owner of a tanker supplier had rented the tanker in question to an advertising agency that obtained the advertising rights from Pune Metro and in return beautified the divider.

The advertising agency stated that the plants had not been watered for the last ten days, so a tanker was rented as it was necessary to keep the plants alive by watering them. Khardekar said the tanker owner also conveyed that the water used was from a borewell in Warje.

Ajay Jadhav is an Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, Pune. With over 22 years of experience in the industry, he is a highly specialized journalist whose work focuses on the intersection of urban infrastructure, governance, and sustainability.

Professional Background

Role: As Assistant Editor, he plays a key role in the editorial direction of the Pune bureau, specializing in urban policy and its direct impact on citizens.

Education: He holds a Master’s degree in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a PG Diploma in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). He also studied at the prestigious Fergusson College.

Impactful Reporting: He is credited with research-based articles on conservancy staff (waste workers) that influenced national policy for better working conditions. He is also known for exposing the contrast between high-end infrastructure (like helipads for leaders) and the lack of basic amenities like schools in their home districts.

Personal Interests: An avid trekker and sports enthusiast, his personal interest in the outdoors often informs his reporting on environmental protection and sustainable development.

Recent Notable Articles (December 2025)

His reporting in late 2025 has been dominated by the upcoming January 2026 Civic Polls in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, and the city's infrastructure boom:

1. Political Analysis (Civic Elections 2026)

"Not friendly but a bitter fight lies ahead between BJP and NCP for PMC, PCMC" (Dec 22, 2025): A detailed look at the intense rivalry between the Mahayuti partners as they prepare for the January 15 municipal elections.

"Pune civic polls: Big blow to NCP, NCP(SP) as leaders switch to BJP" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on high-profile poaching and party-hopping ahead of the elections.

"Ajit Pawar's NCP continues domination in Pune, wins 10 of 17 local bodies" (Dec 21, 2025): Analyzing the results of the local self-government body elections as a precursor to the main civic polls.

2. Infrastructure & Urban Development

"Looking Ahead at 2026: Pune to see inauguration of much-awaited Hinjewadi to Shivajinagar metro route" (Dec 22, 2025): An "outlook" piece on the critical Metro Line 3 project expected to finish by March 2026.

"Building Pune: PMC to construct double-decker bridge over Mula-Mutha River" (Dec 18, 2025): Detailing a major project aimed at easing traffic between Hadapsar and Kharadi.

"Condition of highway from Pune to Kolhapur to improve in a year: Gadkari" (Dec 4, 2025): Reporting on the Union Minister’s assurances regarding one of the state's most critical transport corridors.

3. Civic Governance & Environment

"Install sensors, LED indicators at construction sites within 15 days: PMC to builders" (Dec 16, 2025): A follow-up to the "Breathless Pune" series, reporting on new mandates for builders to monitor air quality in real-time.

"Errors in electoral rolls: PMC corrects data of 92,466 voters" (Dec 16, 2025): Tracking the administrative efforts to clean up the voter lists before the 2026 elections.

Signature Style

Ajay Jadhav is known for accountability journalism. His work often bridges the gap between high-level policy and the "ground zero" reality of Pune's residents. He is particularly focused on Sustainable Development, ensuring that as Pune grows into a "Bharat Mandapam" style destination (referring to his report on the Lohegaon project), its environmental and social safeguards remain intact.

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