New water supply schedule will continue after Diwali

PUNE: Though Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has issued instructions to the Water Resource Department to provide regular water to the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), the civic administration is awaiting an order from the department. The PMC has clarified that it is not going to make any change in the water supply schedule.

On Thursday, Mayor Mukta Tilak and Leader of House Shrinath Bhimale met Fadnavis and explained the water supply problem in Pune, Water Resource Department’s decision to reduce water from 1,350 Million Litre per day (MLD) to 1,150 MLD and how people are coping with water problems.

After that, Fadnavis called Water Resource Department Secretary and gave instructions to provide 1,350 MLD water to PMC. 

Because of this, the civic administration is considering that the city will get water supply two times a day. However, the administration and mayor have denied that the administration is thinking about supplying water twice a day. They both are saying, CM has given instruction to the Water Resource Department not to cut water and continue to provide 1,350 MLD water to Pune city.

While speaking to Sakal Times, Mukta Tilak said, “In our meeting with CM Fadnavis, he issued instructions to the Water Resource Department not to reduce water supply after Diwali. It is nothing to do with present water schedules. Newly implemented water schedule is going to continue. There is no change in it.”

Rajendra Nimbalkar, Additional Municipal Commissioner of PMC, said, “The water schedule will continue throughout Diwali and it won’t change. We have not received any instructions from the Water Resource Department about regularisation of corporation’s water quota. Now, the system is set and we are facing some minor technical problems in the distribution which we are solving on daily basis.” 

On October 25, Mukta Tilak held a meeting of all political leaders along with Municipal Commissioner Saurabh Rao and Water Supply Department officials and announced the new water supply schedule from Monday onwards till the end of July 2019. The PMC had earlier planned to impose cuts from Diwali. However, it was preponed.  

After that, the water supply was disturbed in many areas of the city. City MP Anil Shirole and former Standing Committee chairman and corporator of Kothrud Murli Mohol conducted an agitation for not getting water in their areas. The problem was later solved. Now, Shivajinagar and Kothrud areas are getting adequate and high pressure water supply. 

Earlier this month, the State Water Resource Department had decided to reduce the city’s water supply by around 200 MLD. A meeting of the canal committee was held in Mumbai in the presence of Guardian Minister Girish Bapat and Water Resources Minister Girish Mahajan.