Pune: Residents of several city areas grappled with no water supply for the second consecutive day on Friday as the Pune Municipal Corporation's (PMC) scheduled repair and maintenance work failed to meet the morning deadline, with officials citing technical reasons. The soaring summer heat added to citizens' woes, with taps running dry till night hours in many localities.
Repair Work Delays Worsen Situation
The PMC water supply department had undertaken 45 different types of repair and maintenance works during Thursday's day-long closure. Supply was supposed to be restored by Friday morning, but water pumping to overhead storage tanks resumed only close to five hours late in the afternoon, hampering overall water distribution.
The civic administration stated that major seepage was detected at the Parvati water treatment plant (WTP), causing delays in repairs and installation of a flow meter to the pipeline. Additionally, flow meter installation and valve works at other WTPs were also completed later than scheduled.
Temporary Arrangements and Agitation
While PMC lifted water from the Mutha canal at Cantonment water works as a temporary arrangement, this only benefited some parts of the city. Bhavani Peth residents staged a rasta roko agitation on Friday to condemn frequent disruptions in water supply. Supply to some areas of Deccan Gymkhana, Prabhat Road, and Bhandarkar Road was restored on Friday evening, but pockets of Wadarwadi and Gokhalenagar failed to receive water till late Friday night.
Saket Pujari, a resident of Shivajinagar, said water supply was not restored to them till late evening. He demanded that PMC provide water for the entire day on Saturday and Sunday to compensate residents.
Corporators Express Concern
Many corporators across the city reported receiving numerous calls from residents about water supply not resuming as promised. Kunal Tilak, a corporator from the Peth areas, said that PMC usually restores supply the morning after a day-long closure, but this was not the case on Friday. He noted widespread complaints that taps ran dry till late afternoon and urged better planning.
Punit Joshi, a corporator from Kothrud, highlighted that many pockets did not get water till Friday afternoon, and no updates were sent by PMC about delays, catching residents unawares.
Official Response
PMC water supply department head Nandkishor Jagtap mentioned technical challenges, stating that all critical works like installation of flow meters and valves were planned during Thursday's closure. At some locations, the works took time due to technical challenges, hampering water pumping and supply to overhead tanks. He assured that flow meters have been fixed to check inflow and outflow of water, and supply is expected to normalize by Saturday.
