As PMC denies tanker water to 23 villages, citizens wait for piped supply

PUNE: As Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has asked builders to provide water supply to housing societies in the 23 merged villages, residents are living in fear of a water crisis in the coming days.

Representatives of various residential societies and elected members met PMC officials and demanded tanker water supply from civic administration.

Additional municipal commissioner Ravindra Binwade called a meeting with Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA), PMC and district planning officials to address the issue. Vivek Kharwadkar, chief engineer, PMRDA; Aniruddha Pawaskar, head, PMC water department and others attended the meet.

Recently, Amol Balwadkar, BJP corporator from Baner-Balewadi, used ward development fund of Rs1 crore to provide water tanker supply in Balewadi, Bavdhan and other areas.

“PMRDA had cleared these projects in villages before its merger with PMC last year. While submitting the construction plans, builders gave written assurance to provide water supply. PMC is yet to lay water pipelines in these areas and cannot afford to provide tanker supply,” a civic official said on condition of anonymity.

Pawaskar said, “Earlier these areas were getting water supply from local grampanchayats. With rise in population in these villages, grampanchayats were unable to provide water to residents and the responsibility fell on builders. Now, PMC has appointed a consultant to lay water pipelines in these 23 villages. Till PMC is able to provide piped water supply to residents living in these villages, they have to make their own arrangement.”

Binwade has instructed PMRDA to issue notices to builders who are yet to handover the housing project to residents to provide water supply.

Kunal Joshi, resident of a housing society in Bavdhan, said, “We bought flat here as the rate was low than in PMC areas. However, we face lack of basic services like water, roads and other amenties. Though we were happy after merger with PMC, we need to wait for long period for civic water supply.”

Another resident, staying at Ambegaon, said, “It is not possible to purchase water through private tankers daily as it is costly.”