Pune, 18th July 2023: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has submitted its water budget for the upcoming year 2023-24 to the Water Resources Department, proposing a water demand of 20.90 TMC (Thousand Million Cubic feet). In alignment with this, a request has been made in the Legislative Assembly to allocate a water quota of 21 TMC for Pune.
Simultaneously, the Municipal Corporation has initiated the preparation of a Detailed Project Report (DPR) to address the water supply needs of 34 villages, according to Industry Minister Uday Samant.
During the question hour in the Legislative Assembly today, MLA Ravindra Dhangekar raised a significant concern about the water scarcity issues faced by the 34 villages falling under the municipal corporation’s jurisdiction. Joining him were Bhimrao Tapkir, Sangram Thopte, Sanjay Jagtap, and Sunil Tingre, all expressing their concerns about the inadequate water supply in these villages.
The 34 villages have been grappling with a severe water crisis, receiving inadequate and unsanitary water supply. The implementation of a comprehensive water supply scheme in the region remains incomplete, adding to the challenges faced by the residents. Dhangekar inquired about the timely execution of this plan and whether steps would be taken to curb the activities of the water tanker mafia.
Furthermore, Dhangekar sought information regarding the approval of a 21 TMC water quota for Pune due to the city’s growing population. Minister Uday Samant, responding on behalf of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, stated that the Municipal Corporation is actively working on the DPR for the water supply scheme in the 34 villages. Samant assured that a decision on the matter would be made in the near future.
As the question-and-answer session in the Legislative Assembly is limited to one hour, today’s discussion on Pune’s water supply was cut short after the fifth question raised by Dhangekar. Samant provided a response, but due to time constraints, further deliberations on the topic were not possible. Assembly Speaker Rahul Narvekar clarified that the question-and-answer hour had concluded, thereby concluding any additional discussions on Pune’s water supply for the time being.
