Pimpri-Chinchwad: The Bhama Askhed project, important for ensuring daily water supply for the city of Pimpri-Chinchwad, is facing fresh delays, as now it's being said that the project, which was supposed to be finished by December 2025, won't meet its deadline. Along with that, the cost of the Break Pressure Tank (BPT), which will store water from the Bhama Askhed Dam before it gets to Pimpri-Chinchwad, has increased by Rs 5 crore.
Bhama Askhed Dam is an earth-fill dam on the Bhama River in Khed Taluka of Pune district. Currently, Pimpri-Chinchwad city gets 620 megalitres of water per day (MLD). A majority of it -- around 520 MLD of water -- comes from Pawana Dam in Pawana Nagar, Maval Taluka. Meanwhile, 80 MLD of water is received from Andra Valley Dam, and 20 litres is adjusted as it's provided by Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) daily. Once the Bhama Askhed project is complete, the city will get an additional 200 MLD of water per day.
What's the Most Recent Update?
The Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) is building a BPT at Navlakh Umbre in Talegaon MIDC to bring 167 MLD of water from the Bhama Askhed Dam to the Chikhali Water Purification Center. The project’s cost has increased from Rs 7.68 crore to Rs 12.40 crore due to added construction work and delays. The tank, with a capacity of 2.5 million litres, will have inlet and outlet pipelines, paving blocks, boundary walls, SCADA system buildings, internal roads, and electrical works.
Work for it began on 26th February 2024 but was delayed for eight months as the land was handed over late by Talegaon MIDC. Consequently, the overall project has been delayed too due to this. “A delay of four to six months is expected,” noted a PCMC official. So far, 40% of the tank and 50% of the boundary wall are complete. The cost rose due to additional works, including SCADA and watchman buildings, furniture, RCC arches, parking sheds, and a warehouse.
Chief Engineer Pramod Ombhase, who heads PCMC's Water Supply Department, said, “There was a delay in getting possession of the project land from the MIDC. After taking possession, there were a large number of potholes. Filling the potholes, building the boundary wall, and increasing the area for the SCADA system building contributed to the delay. A separate building for the security guard will be constructed. Due to these reasons, the project cost has increased."
What Does This Delay Mean for Citizens?
In 2019, PCMC decided that the water supply of the city would take place on alternate days. Since then, water problems have just kept increasing for the citizens. The civic body claimed in its budget that the population of the city has surpassed 30 lakh people, and the water is not enough for residents. With the delay in this project, residents of Pimpri-Chinchwad will have to wait longer for an improved and consistent daily water supply as the Bhama Askhed project faces delays and rising costs.
The project, expected to add 200 MLD to the city’s supply, is now unlikely to meet its December 2025 deadline. Currently, most of the city’s water comes from Pawana Dam, leaving a limited buffer during shortages. The delay in completing the BPT and related works means continued dependence on existing, strained sources. Citizens have raised concerns over future water availability. Especially during the summer months, the water demand peaks, and the civic body falls short in giving a convincing supply.
Shankar Chougule, a resident of Thergaon, said, “It's been over six years since PCMC has provided a regular water supply. Water is a basic necessity, and the civic body is not even able to provide us with it. In summer, we don't get water many times. Also, I'm not even speaking about the polluted supply here. I don't think any other major city faces this problem like Pimpri-Chinchwad does.”
Overview Of The Bhama Askhed Project:
- The Bhama Askhed Project is a major water supply initiative aimed at providing Pimpri-Chinchwad with an additional 200 MLD of water.
- The project includes construction of a dam on the Bhama river, a raw water pumping station (65% complete), a 7.3 km rising main pipeline, BPT in Talegaon MIDC, and an 18.8 km gravity main pipeline to a large water treatment plant in Chikhali.
- It is designed to supplement existing sources primarily from the Pavana and Andra dams, which currently supply around 620 MLD combined. The estimated demand of the city is 720 to 750 MLD due to population growth exceeding 30 lakh.
- Total Cost of the Project - Over Rs 400 Crore.
