Pune: Pimpri Chinchwad civic officials on Tuesday clarified that there are no immediate plans to impose additional water cuts in the city, where residents have been receiving water every alternate day since 2019. The Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) stated that it will review the situation in a fortnight, taking into account the latest rainfall forecast from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and the available water stock in dams supplying the city.
Current Water Situation
Ajay Suryawanshi, joint city engineer of PCMC, said, "We have appealed to residents to use water responsibly and avoid wastage. The situation is being closely monitored and a review will be conducted in two weeks." According to civic officials, the Pavana dam, which is the city’s primary water source, currently holds about 23% live storage, almost identical to the levels recorded during the same period last year. Suryawanshi added, "The water situation remains under control at present. Future decisions will depend on rainfall forecasts and the water availability in reservoirs."
Water Supply and Demand
PCMC currently receives approximately 530 million litres per day (MLD) from Pavana dam and an additional 100 MLD from Andra dam. Although the state government has approved an extra allocation of 167 MLD from Bhama Askhed dam, the required pipeline infrastructure is still under construction, and the supply is expected to commence next year. The city’s population has surged from around 17 lakh in 2011 to over 30 lakh now, leading to a substantial increase in water demand. The civic body introduced alternate-day water supply in 2019 due to inadequate water allocation to meet the needs of the rapidly growing population.
Dependence on Private Tankers
Several housing societies, particularly in Wakad, Punawale, Ravet, Chikhali, and Moshi, continue to rely on private water tankers during summer months because of insufficient civic supply. Sources within the civic administration indicated that additional conservation measures could be considered if reservoir levels decline further. These may include restrictions on the use of potable water at commercial vehicle washing centres.
Conservation Efforts
PCMC has already directed construction projects to use treated water from sewage treatment plants (STPs) instead of potable water. Housing societies have also been encouraged to utilise recycled water for non-potable purposes such as gardening and maintenance of common amenities. The civic body continues to appeal to residents to use water judiciously and avoid wastage.
