Pune : Pune Municipal Commissioner Rajendra Bhosale has announced plans to tackle the water crisis in newly included villages by ramping up water supply through 200 tankers daily.
The addition of new villages within the Pune Municipal Corporation’s jurisdiction has exacerbated water scarcity issues. In areas like Kharadi and others in the Vadgaon Sheri Constituency, the severity of the water shortage prompted former corporators to stage protests, including one corporator who resorted to sitting in a pit to draw attention to the crisis.
Despite ongoing efforts to implement regional water supply schemes initiated by the Municipal Corporation, the projects have yet to be completed, leading to continuous complaints from residents in the newly incorporated villages. Moreover, suburban residents have been voicing their grievances and staging protests at the municipal corporation offices regarding the persistent water problems.
In response to the escalating drinking water crisis, Municipal Commissioner Rajendra Bhosale convened a meeting of the water supply department. The meeting proposed a plan to provide 155 litres of water per capita, based on the previous water supply schemes implemented in the newly included villages and the current population data. To execute this plan, an increase in the number of water tankers and the installation of syntex tanks for water storage in villages were suggested.
Currently, the city dispatches 1,200 rounds of water tankers daily. With the newly proposed plan, this number will rise by an additional 200 rounds to cater to the increased demand in the newly included villages. However, challenges such as poor road conditions in forest department areas are hindering timely tanker deliveries. The road department has been tasked with addressing these road issues promptly to ensure efficient water supply.
Additionally, concerns have been raised regarding a hefty bill of 650 crores imposed by the irrigation department, prompting Commissioner Bhosale to announce plans to file a formal complaint regarding the matter.