The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) on Tuesday decided to revoke the water cut every Tuesday which was planned earlier to save water during the peak summers.
The residents were facing water scarcity, and they raised concerns over irregular water supply despite paying taxes and enough availability of water in dams and reservoirs.
To solve the issue, PMC urged citizens to save water by taking simple measures. It has issued a public appeal urging all educational institutions, cooperative housing societies, hospitals, and hotels to adopt simple but effective water-saving measures in view of increasing water scarcity.
The appeal highlights cost-effective solutions that can lead to significant water conservation.
Install Aerator Nozzles: By fitting aerator nozzles to faucets at a cost of just Rs. 150, organizations can reduce water consumption drastically. For instance, places currently ordering 10 water tankers per month could reduce the requirement.
Rainwater Harvesting: Institutions with borewells are encouraged to adopt 100% rainwater harvesting. This not only helps recharge groundwater but also offers a 5% rebate on municipal taxes.
Groundwater Recharge Pits: The PMC suggests digging recharge pits (5 ft x 2 ft x 3 ft) near entrances and installing rainwater drain nets. This effort helps raise the water level in borewells and nearby water sources.
Use of Treated STP Water: Organizations with sewage treatment plants (STP) should utilize treated water for gardening, flushing, and cleaning—thus conserving potable water.
Avoid High-Pressure Water Wastage: Using rubber hoses for washing vehicles, roads, and plants leads to wastage. The PMC advises using borewell water and switching to buckets or watering cans.
Prevent Tank Leakages: Many overhead and underground tanks are found leaking or overflowing. Proper maintenance and installation of level indicators can prevent this wastage.
Water Meter Installation: Institutions should ensure water meters are installed to monitor usage. If absent, the nearest water supply office should be informed. This helps compare actual usage with the permissible limit of 135 liters per person per day.
The PMC emphasizes that each step taken will contribute to overcoming water scarcity. Citizens and institutions are urged to act responsibly and make water conservation a priority.
A PMC official from Bundagarden Water Supply Department said, "Every single measure is being taken by the authorities to provide regular water supply to the citizens. In this regard, the water cut is now lifted and action has been taken on April 17 and April 25 on unauthorized taps and electric pumps in Viman Nagar area through Bundagarden Water Supply Department. The areas where action was taken include Kailas Super Market at Viman Nagar, and a total of five electric pumps were removed and two electric pumps at the restaurant cafe have been confiscated. Also, two unauthorized taps of 3/4 inch diameter at Suprabhat Society Lane No. 2 in Somnathnagar have been closed. And action will be taken against all the culprits."
However, some people are claiming the decision to stop the water cut is just a political agenda as today the Supreme Court directed the Maharashtra State Election Commission to notify elections to local bodies within four weeks.
A user took to X and wrote, "Keeping in mind the elections to be held in the next four months, the administration has withdrawn the decision to cut water. The water cut scheduled for Tuesday in the Vadgaon Water Purification Center area has been canceled."
However, the authorities clearly said the decision is independent and has nothing to do with the announcement of local body elections.
"There will be no water cut on Tuesday and the notification was issued in this regard in the morning, and the decision of conducting the local body election came in the afternoon. So the two have no link. The decision was taken because we received a lot of complaints regarding the water cut from the citizens, so the Municipal Commissioner modified some changes so that people could get some water," said Nandkumar Jagtap, head of the water department, PMC.
