Pune’s long-term water security is under renewed scrutiny as delays in a key bulk water supply project threaten to prolong shortages across one of Maharashtra’s most rapidly expanding urban regions. The Bhama Askhed water project, planned to strengthen drinking water availability for Pune’s growing population, remains significantly behind schedule, raising concerns over governance efficiency, infrastructure execution and the city’s climate resilience preparedness. Despite repeated assurances of progress, the project has crossed its original completion timeline and subsequent extensions, with large sections of pipeline and intake infrastructure still unfinished.
Urban planners warn that continued delays could exacerbate supply gaps at a time when Pune’s population growth, housing expansion and industrial demand are placing unprecedented pressure on existing water sources. The city currently relies heavily on water drawn from nearby reservoirs and supplementary industrial allocations, together supplying roughly 630 million litres per day. However, civic data suggests that this volume is increasingly insufficient for a metropolitan population exceeding three million, particularly during summer months when demand peaks and storage levels decline. The Bhama Askhed project was intended to bridge this gap by adding a substantial new allocation to Pune’s water system, reducing dependence on overstretched sources.
Infrastructure specialists tracking the project point to a combination of land acquisition challenges, execution bottlenecks and contractor underperformance as key factors behind the slow pace of work. While a significant portion of public funds has already been spent, only about two-thirds of the project has been physically completed, limiting its ability to deliver immediate relief to residents. Senior officials within the civic administration indicate that the prolonged delay has prompted a review of contractual arrangements, including the possibility of terminating existing agreements and appointing new agencies to complete the remaining work. Such measures, though administratively complex, are increasingly viewed as necessary to prevent further cost escalation and safeguard public investment. Beyond immediate supply concerns, the stalled Bhama Askhed project has broader implications for Pune’s urban sustainability. Reliable water access is closely linked to housing affordability, public health outcomes and economic productivity.
Inconsistent supply disproportionately affects lower-income neighbourhoods, where households often rely on costly private tankers, undermining equity in basic service delivery. Urban policy experts argue that Pune’s experience underscores the need for stronger project monitoring, transparent accountability frameworks and better alignment between infrastructure planning and urban growth trajectories. As climate variability increases the frequency of water stress events, cities like Pune must prioritise timely delivery of resilient water infrastructure. Completing the Bhama Askhed project remains central to stabilising Pune’s water future. How swiftly and effectively the civic administration resolves the current impasse will shape not only water availability, but also public confidence in the city’s capacity to manage its long-term urban transition.
