While the Maharashtra government has given a go-ahead to the Pavana pipeline project after a gap of 12 years, the farmers in Maval taluka in Pune have once again taken to the streets vowing to stall the project. The project involves laying a direct 36-km closed pipeline from the Pavana dam in Maval taluka to Ravet in Pimpri-Chinchwad. Once completed, it will help the industrial city of Pimpri-Chinchwad get an additional 100 MLD water, thereby easing the water crisis to some extent.
Excerpts from the interview:
Q. Farmers in Maval are up in arms against the project. This has created confusion in the minds of people as to whether the project will happen or will be stalled once again. What’s your take?
Story continues below this ad
Mahesh Landge: The state government last week lifted the stay on the project after a gap of 12 years. The stay could not be lifted as the farmers and politicians in the Maval region were opposed to the project. Now the stay has been lifted as the state government feels that the project could bring justice to the residents of Pimpri-Chinchwad who are reeling under water shortage. Currently, Pimpri-Chinchwad gets water on alternate days. It is expected that once the project is completed, Pimpri-Chinchwad will get 100 MLD water and the problem will ease.
Q: Not just farmers, even politicians from BJP like former MLA Bala Bhegde and NCP MLA Sunil Shelkhe are in the forefront of opposing the project. In such a scenario, do you think the project will really happen?
Landge: If politicians are against the project, there is a reason for it. Both Bhegde and Shelkhe are local politicians and they are supporting the concerns raised by the local people and farmers. There is nothing wrong with it. They represent the local people and have taken up the cudgels on their behalf. All these issues will be handled at the state level. The state leadership of the BJP and NCP will hold discussions with the local leaders and will try to resolve the issue. I am sure some way will be found through discussions. There should be discussion and only through discussion we will be able to do justice to people who need water. Well, the project will happen only after farmers and other stakeholders are taken into confidence.
Q: How important is the Pavana pipeline project for the residents of Pimpri-Chinchwad?
Story continues below this ad
Landge: Very important. If the Pavana pipeline project is not implemented, the 27 lakh residents of Pimpri-Chinchwad will not get their adequate stock of water. Currently, they are getting water supply on alternate days. The project promises to bring additional 100 MLD water which will indeed help areas which are heavily dependent on tanker water. Besides, the project promises to provide clean water to the area. Currently, the water comes to Pimpri-Chinchwad from Pavana Dam which is located 40 km away. During its course of travel from the dam, it carries all sorts of domestic sewage as well as chemical effluents from nullahs located along the Pavana River and even carcasses of animals. Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has to put in additional money to filter the water before supplying it to residents. Once closed pipelines are laid, the pressure of filtering water will be less and the civic body will be able to save crores of rupees.
Q: On one hand you have the firm resolve to mitigate the water crisis in Pimpri-Chinchwad, and on the other hand the residents of Maval fear that they will not get their share of water once the pipeline is laid. How do you expect to reach an amicable solution?
Landge: The fears raised by the people of Maval are reasonable. The political leaders and farmers in Maval are arguing that Pimpri-Chinchwad is currently getting 140 litres of water per person daily, while Maval residents are getting 40 litres per person. The Maval residents say even this disparity will grow once the pipeline is laid. They fear that they will get only one-and-a-half TMC water out of the 10 TMC water that the dam stores. Their arguments are not without basis. But as I said, the state government which will soon be holding a meeting with different stakeholders will address the issues raised by the people of Maval.
Q: Who is going to hold the meeting with stakeholders and when is it going to happen?
Story continues below this ad
Landge: The meeting is scheduled later this week. If it does not happen this week, then it will happen after the Ganesh festival. I have also spoken to Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. He has promised to take all steps to address the grievances of the people of Maval.
Q: NCP MLA Rohit Pawar who was in the city on Monday has alleged that BJP rule in PCMC was neck-deep in corruption. What is your take?
Landge: It is a political statement made in view of the coming elections. BJP rule in Pimpri-Chinchwad was far better than the previous regimes. Though we were hit by Covid, it has not affected the pace of development during this period. Be it the issue of illegal constructions or the penalty tax, or construction of flyovers, distribution of flats to the poor under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), Pimpri-Chinchwad saw several developmental activities. People of this city know it…I do not want to get into Rohit Pawar’s allegations.
Q: BJP’s Pimpri-Chinchwad president Shankar Jagtap has announced new executive committee. Some leaders of your party are upset over this. Any comment?
Story continues below this ad
It is being alleged that I am upset at the formation of the new committee. That’s not true. Before Shankar Jagtap sent the list to the state leadership, both of us had discussed it. We have made an effort to do a balancing act. There was no politics involved. Some leaders might be upset, but we live in a democracy. Everyone has the right to speak his mind. The party leadership will look into the issue raised by them.
6 min read
