Punekars to face penalties for misuse of water

Amid water shortage, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has launched a crackdown on the misuse of drinking water.

In many housing societies, the absence of automatic water taps has led to tanks overflowing, resulting in significant water wastage. Additionally, potable water is being used for gardening, vehicle washing, and cleaning roads across several residential areas. Officials have also found that some car washing centres are using drinking water for their operations.

Taking serious note of these practices, Nandkishore Jagtap, head of PMC’s water supply department, on Monday, directed all junior engineers to initiate strict action against violators.

“If water wastage is observed, a notice should be issued first. If the situation persists, penal action must follow. In cases of continued misuse, the water connection should be disconnected,” Jagtap said.

Prasana Joshi, superintendent engineer of the water supply department, said, “We impose a fine of ₹ 500 for misuse of water for non-drinking purposes. Besides that, we have instructed engineers to visit spots and take action to concern people for misusing drinking water.”

Over 1,000 tanker trips daily for newly merged villages

Around 1.5 lakh residents in Pune are now dependent on water tankers for their daily drinking water needs, as the city’s supply continues to fall short of demand.

The 34 villages incorporated into PMC limits are among the worst affected due to the absence of an independent and efficient water supply system. To address the shortfall, the civic body supplies water through approximately 1,400 tanker trips daily. Out of which, nearly 1,050 tankers are servicing newly added areas alone. In contrast, only 350 tankers are made available for the rest of the old city.

While the PMC provides tanker water free of cost, it remains insufficient for many. The situation is further complicated by the growing presence of a private tanker lobby, with 250 to 300 private tankers ferrying water daily from municipal stations and selling it at rates between ₹1,500 and ₹1,800 per 10,000 litres. Annually, private tanker trips have crossed the four-lakh mark, officials said.

An official from the water supply department confirmed that the demand from newly merged villages stands at about 300 million litres per day (MLD). Of this, PMC manages to provide only 100 MLD through tankers and other measures, while the remaining 200 MLD is sourced via private tankers.

“In 2021, PMC’s expenditure on water tankers was around ₹21 crore. Today, it has increased to ₹50 crore,” the official added.

Currently, the civic body supplies approximately 1,750 MLD of water daily across the city. However, with an annual requirement of 20.60 thousand million cubic feet (TMC), PMC has access to only 14.62 TMC. The gap, combined with an ageing distribution network that causes nearly 35% water leakage, has exacerbated the shortage.

Officials admit that there is a significant mismatch between water availability and actual distribution. While a unified water supply scheme is underway to address the imbalance, urgent approval for an additional 5 TMC of water — especially for newly incorporated villages — remains pending with the government.