Time is running out for Bavdhan residents struggling with irregular, insufficient and low-pressure water supply. With the early summer heat already feeling like a mid-season scorcher, they worry their reliance on water tankers will only worsen, highlighting PMC‘s slow response to the crisis.
“The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is expected to supply 135-150 litres of water per person per day according to the urban and regional development plans formulation and implementation plan. So, we should get 36,000 litres for our society every day. But we get only 12,000-12,500 litres daily,” Santosh Patil, committee member from Bella Vista society at LMD Chowk, Bavdhan, said. The society has 64 flats.
“When we raised our concerns with civic officials, PMC sent a representative and plumber to investigate, confirming pipeline issues. To cope, we’ve been relying on borewell water for 6-7 hours daily and hiring water tankers every day. With temperatures only expected to rise, we’re worried about the water situation worsening,” Patil said.
In an effort to conserve water, aerators were installed on all taps in the society last year. The society committee is seeking a vendor to implement and maintain a rainwater harvesting system now.
Another society, Karan Avenue in lane number four, has on and off had a water supply problem for three years. However, in the last six months, the situation has become increasingly difficult to manage.
According to committee member Kamlesh Deshpande, for a society of 22 row-houses, approximately 12,000 litres of water is sufficient, but three days ago, they received only 756 litres and not a single drop after that.
“We are frustrated with the inconsistent water supply. Every time we complain, the issue is temporarily resolved, only to recur after a week or so. Nearby societies aren’t facing the same problem. We’ve raised the issue at mohalla committee meetings, and miraculously, the supply improves on those days. While PMC sends a tanker occasionally, it’s insufficient to meet our needs,” Deshpande told TOI.
“If the water pressure remains low on some days, PMC needs to ensure that the supply is on for a longer to compensate,” he added.
Bavdhan’s water supply shortage has plagued multiple societies for months. Residents claimed that builders merely installed sewage treatment plants and rainwater harvesting facilities to secure PMC’s no-objection certificates but fail to properly commission and maintain them.
This, among other factors, leads to reduced water reuse and increased reliance on tankers. “Following our merger into the PMC limits (in 2021), water issues persisted for a while. However, with the construction of the new tank at Chandni Chowk, about two years ago, and the installation of new pipelines in many societies, the situation seemed to improve. Unfortunately, over the past few weeks, we’ve experienced a significant decline in both water supply and pressure,” Vinay Patki, committee member of Ganga Legend society, said.
Since some societies have multiple sources of water — PMC pipeline, PMC tankers, borewell, private tankers — to meet their daily demand, it all gets mixed in their tanks. This then adds a layer of worry for the residents as potable water mixes with utility water.
“We don’t receive any utility water from PMC and are forced to rely on tankers, which mix with PMC water in our underground tank, exposing the residents to health issues. Despite paying water tax as a part of property tax, we don’t receive even the minimum required quantum. Resultantly, a significant portion of our society’s maintenance budget goes towards purchasing utility water. With 1,000 existing flats and 200 more being added this year, the situation will only deteriorate if not addressed promptly,” he said.
Manish Deo, core member of Bavdhan Citizens Forum (BCF), said the issue has been raised at mohalla committee meetings. “The problem appears to be restricted to a few societies, hinting at pipeline problems. Societies have been filing individual complaints and many have been tracking supply via meters. BCF assists societies in coordinating with PMC officials, who have been cooperative. New pipelines are being installed where necessary,” he added.
Citizens Speak
Despite being under PMC limits, we haven’t seen significant benefit. A new water line was laid last year, but it hasn’t improved the supply. We’re forced to spend Rs1.5 lakh on tankers every month. Though our rainwater harvesting system reduces our tanker dependence, drinking water remains a concern — Nitesh Zoting | Chairman, Nyati Equatorial Phase 1
__________________________
Over the past six months, Amchi Colony’s water supply has been dwindling. Although not all buildings have needed tankers yet, last summer’s demand was a worrying sign. Storage capacity at the Chandni Chowk tank must be increased and supply plans must include existing and future populations in the area — Prashant Prabhu | Resident, Amchi Colony
__________________________
For 15 days, we have been experiencing a severe water scarcity. Resultantly, we have been compelled to rely on borewell water. Our society has 42 flats, and this is the first time we are facing a water crisis. The approaching summer has heightened our concerns — Shweta Kundalkar | Chairperson, Vaidehi Riviera
_________________________
We enjoyed smooth water supply for seven-and-a-half years. Our struggle began in Sept 2023. PMC diverted our highway line water to Pashan, forcing us to rely on tankers. After the GBS outbreak, we switched to PMC tankers for drinking water, which are costly. We’ve spent Rs 10 lakh over 14 months on tankers alone — Yogesh Gadilkar | committee member, Vallonia Society
_________________________
Officials Say
Some societies have reached out to me about the water supply issues that they are facing and so I am aware about this. I will set up a meeting with concerned officials this week and work with them to understand what the problem is and how it can be resolved at the earliest — Bhimrao Tapkir | Member of Legislative Assembly, Khadakwasla
_____________________________
Given the increase in temperatures, the demand for water from areas like Bavdhan has increased. I have already instructed my team to increase pumping and we are working on fixing the issue — Nandkishor Jagtap | Chief Engineer (Water Supply Department), Pune Municipal Corporation
“The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is expected to supply 135-150 litres of water per person per day according to the urban and regional development plans formulation and implementation plan. So, we should get 36,000 litres for our society every day. But we get only 12,000-12,500 litres daily,” Santosh Patil, committee member from Bella Vista society at LMD Chowk, Bavdhan, said. The society has 64 flats.
“When we raised our concerns with civic officials, PMC sent a representative and plumber to investigate, confirming pipeline issues. To cope, we’ve been relying on borewell water for 6-7 hours daily and hiring water tankers every day. With temperatures only expected to rise, we’re worried about the water situation worsening,” Patil said.
In an effort to conserve water, aerators were installed on all taps in the society last year. The society committee is seeking a vendor to implement and maintain a rainwater harvesting system now.
Another society, Karan Avenue in lane number four, has on and off had a water supply problem for three years. However, in the last six months, the situation has become increasingly difficult to manage.
According to committee member Kamlesh Deshpande, for a society of 22 row-houses, approximately 12,000 litres of water is sufficient, but three days ago, they received only 756 litres and not a single drop after that.
“We are frustrated with the inconsistent water supply. Every time we complain, the issue is temporarily resolved, only to recur after a week or so. Nearby societies aren’t facing the same problem. We’ve raised the issue at mohalla committee meetings, and miraculously, the supply improves on those days. While PMC sends a tanker occasionally, it’s insufficient to meet our needs,” Deshpande told TOI.
“If the water pressure remains low on some days, PMC needs to ensure that the supply is on for a longer to compensate,” he added.
Bavdhan’s water supply shortage has plagued multiple societies for months. Residents claimed that builders merely installed sewage treatment plants and rainwater harvesting facilities to secure PMC’s no-objection certificates but fail to properly commission and maintain them.
This, among other factors, leads to reduced water reuse and increased reliance on tankers. “Following our merger into the PMC limits (in 2021), water issues persisted for a while. However, with the construction of the new tank at Chandni Chowk, about two years ago, and the installation of new pipelines in many societies, the situation seemed to improve. Unfortunately, over the past few weeks, we’ve experienced a significant decline in both water supply and pressure,” Vinay Patki, committee member of Ganga Legend society, said.
Since some societies have multiple sources of water — PMC pipeline, PMC tankers, borewell, private tankers — to meet their daily demand, it all gets mixed in their tanks. This then adds a layer of worry for the residents as potable water mixes with utility water.
“We don’t receive any utility water from PMC and are forced to rely on tankers, which mix with PMC water in our underground tank, exposing the residents to health issues. Despite paying water tax as a part of property tax, we don’t receive even the minimum required quantum. Resultantly, a significant portion of our society’s maintenance budget goes towards purchasing utility water. With 1,000 existing flats and 200 more being added this year, the situation will only deteriorate if not addressed promptly,” he said.
Manish Deo, core member of Bavdhan Citizens Forum (BCF), said the issue has been raised at mohalla committee meetings. “The problem appears to be restricted to a few societies, hinting at pipeline problems. Societies have been filing individual complaints and many have been tracking supply via meters. BCF assists societies in coordinating with PMC officials, who have been cooperative. New pipelines are being installed where necessary,” he added.
Citizens Speak
Despite being under PMC limits, we haven’t seen significant benefit. A new water line was laid last year, but it hasn’t improved the supply. We’re forced to spend Rs1.5 lakh on tankers every month. Though our rainwater harvesting system reduces our tanker dependence, drinking water remains a concern — Nitesh Zoting | Chairman, Nyati Equatorial Phase 1
__________________________
Over the past six months, Amchi Colony’s water supply has been dwindling. Although not all buildings have needed tankers yet, last summer’s demand was a worrying sign. Storage capacity at the Chandni Chowk tank must be increased and supply plans must include existing and future populations in the area — Prashant Prabhu | Resident, Amchi Colony
__________________________
For 15 days, we have been experiencing a severe water scarcity. Resultantly, we have been compelled to rely on borewell water. Our society has 42 flats, and this is the first time we are facing a water crisis. The approaching summer has heightened our concerns — Shweta Kundalkar | Chairperson, Vaidehi Riviera
_________________________
We enjoyed smooth water supply for seven-and-a-half years. Our struggle began in Sept 2023. PMC diverted our highway line water to Pashan, forcing us to rely on tankers. After the GBS outbreak, we switched to PMC tankers for drinking water, which are costly. We’ve spent Rs 10 lakh over 14 months on tankers alone — Yogesh Gadilkar | committee member, Vallonia Society
_________________________
Officials Say
Some societies have reached out to me about the water supply issues that they are facing and so I am aware about this. I will set up a meeting with concerned officials this week and work with them to understand what the problem is and how it can be resolved at the earliest — Bhimrao Tapkir | Member of Legislative Assembly, Khadakwasla
_____________________________
Given the increase in temperatures, the demand for water from areas like Bavdhan has increased. I have already instructed my team to increase pumping and we are working on fixing the issue — Nandkishor Jagtap | Chief Engineer (Water Supply Department), Pune Municipal Corporation
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