In 11 new villages, Pune Municipal Corporation faces demand for additional water

After the merger of 11 villages in the jurisdiction of PMC, the civic body needs to supply two thousand million cubic feet of additional water to the new residents. (File photo)

After the merger of 11 villages in the jurisdiction of Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), the civic body faces increased demand for water. It needs to supply two thousand million cubic feet (TMC) of additional water to the new residents. This is likely to result in a reduction of water supply to existing residents.

“The PMC has done the study of water supply needs of the newly merged area in the city. It is estimated that two TMC of water would be required to meet the drinking water needs of the city,” said V G Kulkarni, Chief Engineer and in-charge of PMC water supply and sewage treatment department. He said the PMC will have to manage the water supply to the newly merged area from the existing availability to the civic body from the irrigation department.

“The PMC had urged the state government to increase the water quota for the city if new villages are to be merged in the city limits. However, there is no communication from the state government on the demand to increase water quota for the city while the notification of merger of 11 villages has been issued,” Kulkarni said.

The PMC would once again urge the state government to increase the reservation of quota for PMC so as to meet the drinking water supply of city, he said, adding, “If the state irrigation department does not accept the PMC request, then it would be a task to manage the water supply needs of the city and there would be no option but to go for a cut in supply of the existing city area.”

The state government has signed an agreement with the PMC to reserve 11.5 TMC of water for the city while the existing consumption has increased to 14.5 TMC to 15 TMC, Kulkarni said. As per the government decision, the PMC has been supplying water to the adjoining villages that are within five km of city limits.

The PMC and irrigation department are engaged in a debate, with the irrigation department stating that the PMC should draw 11.5 TMC water in a year as per the existing agreement, but the civic body was actually drawing 16.5 TMC water. However, the PMC has claimed the consumption of 14.561 TMC water in 2016-17 against the irrigation department’s figure of 16.5 TMC in the year.

The PMC gets water supply from the chain of Khadakwasla reservoir that includes Panshet, Varasgaon and Temghar. The project for drawing water from Bhama Asakhed dam to the PMC has been undertaken under JNNURM, but the state government is yet to approve water quota from the reservoir. Meanwhile, the state government has undertaken the study of the agreement with a private power generation company on water-sharing of Mulshi reservoir so as to explore the possibility of using the water for the drinking water needs of the city.