The Water Resources Department (WRD) has previously accused the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) of overusing water from the Khadakwasla dam and failing to manage the city’s water supply effectively.
According to Shweta Kurhade, Executive Director of the Khadakwasla Project, the WRD’s Khadakwasla division recorded a revenue of ₹422 crore from water charges by the end of March—its highest in the last eight years.
After repeated warnings from the Water Resources Department, the PMC paid ₹200 crore in arrears. However, the total dues amounted to ₹714 crore, meaning the PMC still owes over ₹500 crore.
The WRD had sent two reminders to the PMC regarding the pending arrears. The matter was also raised during a Canal Advisory Committee meeting, where Water Resources Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil warned that water supply might be curtailed if dues remained unpaid. Following this, the Municipal Commissioner agreed to pay a portion of the outstanding amount.
Accordingly, the PMC paid ₹200 crore of the ₹714 crore owed. Kurhade noted that the PMC has shown willingness to pay the remaining amount along with applicable fines.
Under the Khadakwasla project, the WRD supplied water for both drinking and agricultural purposes during the financial year 2024–25. During this period, the department made a record recovery, collecting ₹422.45 crore from the Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad municipal corporations and other departments.
Of this, ₹418.38 crore was collected for non-irrigation purposes (115% of the target), while ₹4.09 crore was collected through irrigation water supply (109% of the target, which was ₹3.75 crore). Under the Mutha division, ₹52.51 crore was recovered for irrigation against a target of ₹52 crore.
This marks the highest recovery in the past five years. The PMC contributed the largest amount in the non-irrigation category. In the Pawana sub-division, ₹91 crore was collected against a target of just ₹65 lakh—achieving 139% of the target. Similarly, PCMC paid ₹65 crore in water tax.
Statewide, the Water Resources Department in Maharashtra has achieved record revenue of ₹2,400 crore from water tax collections this year. Leading the effort is the Krishna Valley Development Corporation, which collected the highest amount—₹799.04 crore—an increase of over ₹500 crore compared to the previous year.
This corporation manages water resources in Pune, Satara, Sangli, Kolhapur and Solapur. Out of its ₹792 crore target, it successfully recovered ₹69.10 crore from irrigation and ₹729.13 crore from non-irrigation sources.
The Khadakwasla Project under the Pune Irrigation Board alone contributed ₹422 crore—more than half of the Krishna Corporation’s total collection. “Efforts like the Water Safety Week, follow-ups with industries and municipalities and cooperation from sugar factories significantly contributed to the success,” said Kurhade.
