No Daily Water Supply For Pimpri-Chinchwad As PCMC’s Bhama Askhed Dam Work Faces Fresh Delay

Pimpri-Chinchwad: The work of bringing 167 MLD of water from the Bhama Askhed Dam to ensure everyday water supply to the city residents is going on at a slow pace. Earlier, it was planned to finish the work by December 2024. However, the work couldn’t be finished by then due to some “technical difficulties”, claimed by the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) officials.

PCMC officials have now started to claim that the renewed deadline of December 2025 will also be tough to follow. That’s why, as things stand, Pimpri-Chinchwad residents have to wait for a daily water supply.

According to PCMC officials and local demographic experts, the population of Pimpri-Chinchwad has surpassed 30 lakhs. Housing projects are being built, and new residents are coming every day. In this situation, PCMC currently has an alternate-day water supply scheme for the past six years. Currently, for this growing population of the city, the water being taken from Pawana and Andra Dams and from MIDC is still insufficient.

That’s when PCMC decided to bring 167 MLD of water from the Bhama Askhed Dam. It involves laying a 1,700 mm diameter pipeline for 7.30 km from the raw water pumping station at Waki to the break-pressure tank at Navlakh Umbre. From there, another 1,400 mm diameter pipeline is being laid for 18.80 km to the water treatment plant in Chikhali.

PCMC officials said that so far only 55% of the work has been completed. The slow pace, according to them, is attributed to land acquisition process delays and other technical issues. The high water level in the dam is also making it difficult to work on the raw water pumping station and other civil works.

No Response for Mulshi Dam Proposal of PCMC’s Request

PCMC had requested the water resources department of the Maharashtra Government in 2023 that 760 MLD of water be reserved from the Mulshi Dam. The department, however, denied this request and instructed the PCMC to follow up with the state government. However, no response from the state government has been seen despite multiple top-level meetings.

PCMC Chief Engineer Pramod Ombhase of the Water Supply Department said, “The Bhama Askhed project is progressing. Work on the pumping station and raw water pumping station is underway. PCMC is working to clear obstacles for the pipeline to complete the work as planned within the deadline.”

Daily Water Supply to the City

- Pawana Dam - 550 MLD
- Andra Dam – 80 MLD
- MIDC – 20 MLD
- Total – 650 MLD