Pune: Extended Water Cut On Friday Leaves Residents Across Several Areas Struggling, Civic Body Faces Criticism

Pune: Residents across several parts of the city were forced to face continued water shortages on Friday after a 24-hour water cut announced by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) on Thursday extended into the next day due to delays in ongoing pipeline repair work.

The disruption was caused by the installation of a flow meter on the main water pipeline between Khadakwasla and the Parvati water treatment plant. The PMC had undertaken a planned shutdown on Thursday to carry out multiple works, including installing flow meters at key water centres and pipelines across the city. Officials said around 45 works were completed during this period.

However, delays in installing the flow meter on the crucial 2000 mm diameter pipeline affected the overall supply schedule. As a result, several areas, including Parvati, Wadgaon Katraj, and many Peth localities, continued to face severe water shortages even on Friday morning. Residents said they had prepared only for a one-day disruption and were caught off guard by the extended cut.

“We were informed that the water supply would be disrupted for 24 hours, so we stored water accordingly. But even on Friday, there was no supply. Now we are forced to arrange water tankers,” said Santosh Jagtap, a resident of Wadgaon Katraj.

PMC officials stated that water supply in areas such as Lashkar, Kothrud, Aundh and Nana Peth is expected to resume by around 3 pm. In other parts of the city, water is being lifted through canals, and supply will gradually resume after 12 pm.

According to Additional Municipal Commissioner Pavneet Kaur, the work was delayed by five to six hours due to on-site technical difficulties, pushing the completion time to around 3 pm on Friday.

Swati Kulkarni, a homemaker from the Parvati area, said, “There has not been a single drop of water since morning. It becomes very difficult, especially with children and elderly people at home. The stored water from Wednesday was exhausted by Thursday evening. We were hoping the supply would resume on Friday as scheduled, but the extended water cut has left us frustrated. The administration should have given clearer updates.”

Shrikant Mishra, a resident of Raviwar Peth, said that people panicked due to the lack of prior information about the delay. “Residents were forced to suffer and had to buy water bottles for cooking and daily use. The civic body should plan better to avoid such issues in the future,” he said.

Vishal Kantela, a student living in the Parvati area, said, “We somehow managed yesterday, but today’s continued water cut has made things worse. We don’t have water for bathing or cooking. Authorities should plan and execute such works more efficiently.”

Residents across affected areas criticised the civic administration for poor planning and lack of timely communication, saying better coordination and advance updates could have reduced the inconvenience.