Residents and elected representatives from Pune’s merged areas are mounting pressure on Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) to rethink the current alternate-day water schedule and replace it with a daily one-hour supply. Corporators from Khadakwasla, Kondhwe Dhavde, Shivne, and Uttamnagar have formally approached PMC, arguing that the current system is failing their constituencies. They contend that what works in the old city areas, where infrastructure is robust and well-established, does not translate to newly merged localities, where water distribution networks remain incomplete and fragile.
Current Supply Proves Insufficient
For the past five days, residents in these pockets have been surviving on barely an hour of water every alternate day, a system that is proving insufficient. Corporator Subhash Nanekar stated, “We have conveyed the ground reality to officials and suggested two workable options. Either provide water every day for one hour or extend supply to three hours on alternate days. The residents strongly feel that a daily one-hour supply is more practical and can be implemented without much difficulty.”
Deteriorating Conditions on the Ground
The situation is growing increasingly tense. In Khadakwasla, residents said the crisis is worsening by the day. Resident Viraj Konde reported, “The water pressure has dropped drastically within a week. The supply doesn’t even last 45 minutes anymore. It’s becoming unmanageable.” As taps run dry, dependency on private water tankers has surged, pushing households into a financial squeeze. With tanker operators hiking rates in the wake of water cuts, residents are now paying a steep price for basic necessity.
Financial Burden and Tanker Dependency
NCP (SP) leader and corporator Kaka Chavan highlighted the tanker issue: “Most tankers catering to Sinhagad Road areas source water from the Wadgaon filling point. If PMC reduces charges there, operators can pass on the benefit to citizens. The administration must break this deadlock.” The rising cost of tanker water is adding to the financial strain on residents already struggling with inadequate supply.
Wagholi Faces Looming Crisis
In Wagholi, supply has been disrupted since Friday after water levels in the Vadhu weir plunged to critically low levels. Residents are already feeling the pinch, with taps running dry and tanker dependence rising sharply. Local corporators and residents have demanded immediate intervention, including the deployment of additional tankers to avert a full-blown crisis. Discussions are also under way to release water into the Bhima river, a move that could revive storage levels in the weir and help restore supply. For now, however, the situation remains precarious, with PMC already relying heavily on tanker supply to keep Wagholi afloat.
