Maharashtra: Pune likely to face 15% water cut soon to ensure stocks last till monsoon

PMC chief engineer Nandkishore Jagtap said the civic administration is preparing two plans for water cuts and political office bearers will take a decision on it.

Jagtap said if alternate day water cuts are implemented, then 25 per cent water will be saved and If it’s one day in a week, then 10 percent will be saved. He added that the impact on the water supply system due to possible technical issues also needed to be ascertained.

According to the state water resource department, the available stock of water in the four dams is 13.20 TMC (thousand million cubic feet) which is 45.29 per cent of the total storage capacity. Last year this time, the storage was 12.04 TMC, but this time less rain has been forecast for the whole country.

Management of water in dams is done till August 31 if monsoon’s arrival is delayed. Therefore, the available stored water has to be used till the start of monsoon. The 15 per cent cut in water will reduce water availability by 250 MLD to 300 MLD (million litres per day) as the PMC draws around one TMC to 1.5 TMC water from the dam to meet its need.

Mayor Manjusha Nagpure said any decision for a water cut will be taken only after discussions with the civic water supply and state water resource departments. “The review of the water situation will be taken, then only a decision on its cut will be done” she said.

PMC standing committee chairperson Shrinath Bhimale said that the civic body will not introduce any water cut in the city as parts of the city are already witnessing water shortage. “The elected representatives have been raising the issue of water shortage in their area. The introduction of water supply will further add to the sufferings of the people,” he said.