Pune Likely To Face Water Cuts This Summer Due To Pending Dues Amounting To ₹933 Crore

Residents of Pune complain of frequent water cuts, with some citing that they receive water at very low pressure. On the other hand, the Water Resources Department has warned the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) that water supply could be stopped if pending dues are not cleared immediately.

Sheetal Tai, a shopkeeper residing at Swargate, said, “The summer has not even arrived properly, and we are already seeing low water pressure in our area. We face frequent water cuts. The officials keep assuring us that the water supply will be proper, but we don’t get an adequate amount of water. Sometimes we can’t even fill one bucket fully and the supply gets disrupted.”

Shreyas Patil, a resident of Mahalunge, said, “We reported the issue of water supply in our society to the authorities. We get contaminated water. We then reached out to the society chairman and found that the builder is not following the norms set by the authorities. Despite multiple complaints, nobody is taking responsibility, and we continue to get contaminated water.”

A resident of Pashan, Himanshu Mohanti, said, “Water cuts are quite frequent in our area. We get corporation water and are not dependent on water tankers, but this year we feel we might need tankers as well because of the low water supply and frequent water cuts. We also got to know that PMC has not paid the water supply bills, which will further increase the water cut issue. The authorities should pay the dues. They are quick to fine people who fail to pay property taxes on time, but when it comes to paying their own bills, they lack discipline.”

According to the information received, Pune has been allotted 11.60 TMC of water for the current period. However, officials have indicated that the available reserve is limited and may last only a few more days.

Meanwhile, the PMC currently owes ₹933 crore to the Water Resources Department. Last month, a notice was issued mentioning dues of ₹953 crore. Despite partial payments of ₹19.75 crore in November and December, arrears stood at ₹932.88 crore at the end of February. Meanwhile, the civic body is reportedly recovering only about ₹10 crore per month as water charges.

During the financial year 2024–25, the city consumed 8.84 TMC of water in excess of the sanctioned limit. As per the norms of the Maharashtra Water Resources Regulatory Authority (MWRRA), excess consumption up to 25 per cent of the quota attracts a charge of one-and-a-half times the regular rate, while usage beyond that limit is penalised at three times the rate. This has significantly contributed to the mounting arrears.

Officials said that excess water usage has been recorded consistently since 2016. As of January 31, the city had already utilised 11.23 TMC of water, leaving only 0.36 TMC in reserve, a stock likely to be exhausted within 12 days.

Speaking to The Free Press Journal, Kiran Deshmukh, Executive Engineer of the Water Resources Department under the Khadakwasla project, stated that overuse of water beyond the approved quota is impacting agricultural needs. "Farmers and public representatives have expressed growing dissatisfaction over the reduced availability of water for irrigation. Unless the PMC clears its outstanding dues immediately, action may be taken to stop the water supply to the city," he added.