With rising temp, Jaipur reels under water scarcity

Jaipur: The city is grappling with an acute water crisis as temperatures climb past 40°C, hitting last-mile localities the hardest. With municipal supply turning erratic in several pockets, dependence on private tankers has surged, and so have prices. Residents in some neighbourhoods say they are paying nearly double the usual rates to secure basic daily needs.

In Siddharth Nagar, Malviya Nagar, locals report that supply has been scarce for the past four to five days. “Private tankers are charging twice the normal rate,” said resident Dhruv Agarwal, reflecting a growing frustration across affected areas.

Officials from the Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) say they are responding by increasing Bisalpur water supply to Jaipur in phases. According to PHED, the city is already receiving close to the maximum possible volume, with plans to raise supply further from Monday as the Meteorological Department forecasts higher temperatures in the coming days.

The strain is especially visible in high-rises and large residential complexes. Many such societies rely heavily on groundwater extraction or private tankers, and the spike in household demand is making routine management difficult. “We need around four tanks of water a day. It costs us around Rs 800 per tanker. Now a few suppliers are charging no less than Rs 1,200 to Rs 1,500,” said Amit Kumar president of a residents’ welfare association.

An official estimate pegs Jaipur’s private tanker fleet at around 2,000 vehicles, typically with 4,000-litre capacity. While a tanker usually serves 10 to 12 households daily, operators are now receiving over 20 orders a day, intensifying competition and pushing prices upward.