Water Crisis In Pune? PMC Announces Alternate-Day Water Supply From THIS Date As Dam Levels Drop Alarmingly

PUNE WATER CRISIS: From June 15, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) will begin rationing water supplies on alternate days, due to the critically low water levels in the chain of dams at Khadakwasla, FPJ reports. A formal circular will be issued soon, with the thinking being that the move will extend the available reserves before the monsoon stabilises inflows. Greenpeace reported that the current water level in the dam is about 5.87 TMC, with only about 3 TMC being utilised for city supply, after considering other essential demands. The officials had pointed out that the continuous daily supply is now not feasible as the requirement in Pune is estimated to be around 1,500 MLD per day. 

Pune to Get Water on Alternate Days From June 15

The meeting under the direction of the city administrators concluded that only alternate-day supply with tight enforcement is viable to control resources through the end of August, the report said. All 158 water supply zones will be monitored, and distribution will be controlled in all areas with special teams to prevent wastage.

The report says the PMC is gearing up to shut down washing centres and swimming pools, crack down on using drinking water for construction work, and push for treated wastewater in places where you don’t need clean water. They’re even sending out surprise inspection teams to catch anyone misusing drinking water.

Crackdown on Wastage and Strict Monitoring Ahead

City officials admit they avoided imposing restrictions during the hottest months because they didn’t want to make things tougher for people, but the current water storage situation leaves them with no choice. They’re asking everyone to pitch in—use less water for things you don’t really need, and get ready for strict monitoring until the reservoirs bounce back.

Things aren’t looking good in Mumbai either. On Monday, the Mumbai Water Tankers Association started an indefinite strike, and it’s causing headaches everywhere i.e. offices, apartment complexes, train stations, and big infrastructure projects are all feeling the pinch. The city was already facing a 10% water cut from the BMC due to dropping lake levels, and this strike is just making everything worse. 

Why is Pune facing a water crisis?

Pune’s running out of water, and honestly, it’s a mess that’s been building for a while. The city just keeps growing—more people, more buildings, more factories, so water demand keeps shooting up. At the same time, the old pipes and tanks can’t keep up; leaks and wasted water are everywhere. Add in uneven monsoon rains, sometimes enough, sometimes not, and you get a city that’s always on edge every time there’s a dry spell. 

Things get worse because Pune relies heavily on reservoirs like Khadakwasla, so if they’re low, everyone feels it. Illegal connections keep popping up, draining the system even more, and hardly anyone’s investing in groundwater recharge to shore things up. When the government steps in, they usually just cut supply and tell people to manage, but that’s no real fix. 

ALSO READ: Thane Viral Video: Auto Driver Brutally Beats Up Elderly Man After Being Asked Not to Spit On Road, Here’s What Shiv Sena Members Did Next