The Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has issued notices to 184 housing societies for failing to operate mandatory sewage treatment plants (STPs), an essential urban infrastructure for sustainable water reuse.
Among the notified, 50 residential complexes have received a third and final warning, with the civic body cautioning that persistent non-compliance could result in disconnection of water supply — a harsh but increasingly necessary measure in light of dwindling freshwater availability. These actions are grounded in the Unified Development Control and Promotion Regulations (UDCPR), which mandate operational STPs for residential developments exceeding 20,000 square metres in built-up area. Of the 456 societies that fall under this regulatory scope, 264 have reportedly functional systems, while 192 remain non-operational — some entirely defunct, others never activated. PCMC’s environment department, which has enlisted a third-party agency to inspect STP functionality across the city, is intensifying its crackdown. Officials confirm that in at least eight instances, housing societies even barred inspection teams from entering premises.
“Maintaining working STPs is no longer optional. Reuse of treated wastewater for secondary purposes like flushing and gardening is critical, particularly when water demand is at its seasonal peak,” said a senior PCMC official. The city has been grappling with water scarcity for years, and most households continue to receive alternate-day water supply. Many turn to private tankers to fill the gap, particularly during high-demand periods such as summer. Yet, the civic directive has sparked pushback from several housing federations. Residents allege systemic failures on the part of PCMC, especially during the project approval stage. “Many builders install substandard STPs just to meet compliance requirements and get their occupancy certificates. Once residents move in, the burden of expensive repair or reinstallation falls on us,” said Dattatray Deshmukh, president of the Pimpri Chinchwad Cooperative Housing Societies Federation.
Deshmukh adds that while builders are supposed to manage the STP for two years post-handover, the enforcement of this clause remains inconsistent. The operational cost of running STPs — including staffing, chemicals, and mechanical maintenance — continues to strain residents’ monthly budgets. Some societies argue that with no institutional support or subsidy from civic authorities, they are ill-equipped to shoulder the technical and financial burdens of wastewater management. Meanwhile, there are mounting calls for PCMC to lead by example. “How many of the municipal STPs are functioning at full capacity? Before penalising residents, the civic body must audit and publish data on its own plants,” said Sanjeevan Sangle, president of the Chikhali-Moshi Housing Societies Federation.
The situation points to a larger issue in Indian urban development: a compliance regime that leans heavily on residents while letting developers sidestep long-term responsibility. In a rapidly urbanising corridor like Pimpri-Chinchwad, the consequences of poorly managed wastewater are not just legal or infrastructural — they are environmental and public health concerns. As PCMC gears up to enforce punitive action, the debate over accountability — whether of builders, civic officials, or residents — continues to intensify. But one thing is clear: for India’s cities to become truly sustainable, water reuse and sewage treatment must evolve from regulatory afterthoughts to active civic priorities.
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