PCMC to Cut Water to 184 Societies for Defunct Sewage Plants
The Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has announced it will disconnect water supply to 184 large housing societies starting 1 June for failing to operate mandatory Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs), despite receiving three official notices.
Under the Unified Development Control and Promotion Regulations (UDCPR), residential complexes built on plots exceeding 20,000 square metres or consuming over 20,000 litres of water daily are legally required to install and maintain operational STPs to ensure water recycling and reuse. All 184 defaulters fall under this category, with each society housing over 100 units. Of the 456 large residential societies in the rapidly urbanising twin city, only 264 have functional STPs. The remaining 184 have kept their systems inactive, citing issues ranging from high maintenance costs—estimated at ₹40,000 a month—to incomplete or faulty installations by builders.
PCMC Commissioner Shekhar Singh confirmed the deadline and stressed that ample time had been given. “Operating STPs is the responsibility of the societies. Starting 1 June, we will disconnect water connections to those who remain non-compliant,” Singh said. The city currently supplies around 620 to 630 million litres of water daily. Yet, many societies still depend on private water tankers, reflecting the ongoing strain on municipal infrastructure. Housing society representatives have criticised the move. Dattatray Deshmukh, President of the Pimpri-Chinchwad Co-operative Housing Society Federation, said, “Water is a basic necessity. Cutting supply is not a solution. Societies are already forced to buy water due to irregular municipal supply. The real issue is the lack of builder accountability.” Resident associations have demanded that the PCMC inspect STPs installed by developers and penalise those who failed to meet standards, instead of punishing residents.
With just days left before the enforcement deadline, civic and resident tensions continue to mount, spotlighting the growing conflict between infrastructure demands and regulatory compliance in one of Maharashtra’s fastest-growing urban zones.
