The Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) has rescinded its commitment to ensuring water supply for new housing projects in 23 newly merged villages and areas situated beyond 5 kilometres from the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) limits. This decision comes as the PMC grapples with the challenge of supplying water to the 34 newly merged villages due to a lack of infrastructure and insufficient drinking water.
PMRDA Commissioner Yogesh Mhase issued a circular on Monday, revoking the previous directive that required developers to provide an affidavit guaranteeing water supply to residents of new projects. The new order specifies that construction projects within these 23 merged villages and those outside the 5 km radius from PMC limits will no longer need to secure water supply commitments from local authorities. This shift in policy is aimed at streamlining the process for developers seeking development permissions or occupancy certificates within the PMRDA’s jurisdiction, which covers approximately 814 villages. The PMC is now responsible for providing water and other essential services to the 23 villages under its jurisdiction, with 75% of the development fees collected by the PMRDA being transferred to the PMC to support these efforts.
For areas outside the 5 km radius of the PMC limits but within the PMRDA’s jurisdiction, the responsibility for water supply falls on the relevant municipal corporations. The order also mandates that previous directives related to water supply guarantees have been nullified in light of these new responsibilities. An official from the PMRDA’s town planning department noted that the decision aligns with state government directives, which designate municipal corporations as responsible for water supply within 5 km of their boundaries. The new regulation removes the requirement for developers to obtain water supply affidavits from local bodies when applying for building permissions, a move that now also applies to construction projects outside the 5 km limits of PMC and Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) within the PMRDA jurisdiction.
However, this decision has raised concerns among PMC officials, who are already struggling to supply water to the 23 newly merged villages. The water supply department expressed doubts about their ability to extend services to villages beyond the 5 km limit of PMC. Furthermore, the PMRDA order states that cases seeking occupancy certificates that were previously approved based on Gram Panchayat certificates or developers’ assurances will now need to be reviewed by the executive committee (EC) for further action. Proposals are also being submitted to the engineering department for the formulation of water supply plans in these cases.
