Pune is approaching a critical water supply juncture as the city’s approved allocation from the Khadakwasla reservoir nears exhaustion, raising urgent questions about municipal financial management and urban water resilience. The Water Resources Department has allocated 11.60 TMC of water to the city for the fiscal year, but arrears amounting to over ₹930 crore could trigger a suspension of supply within two weeks if not addressed. The situation underscores the intersection of civic governance, sustainable resource use, and urban infrastructure planning.
Urban water experts note that the Municipal Corporation’s monthly collections, reportedly around ₹10 crore, fall dramatically short of the accumulated dues, limiting its capacity to maintain uninterrupted water delivery. The reservoir itself, with an annual storage of 29 TMC, also supports regional agriculture, meaning any over-extraction for urban use strains both rural water security and local ecosystems. Last fiscal year, the city reportedly consumed 8.84 TMC beyond its allocated quota, attracting fines under Maharashtra Water Resources Regulatory Authority guidelines.
Analysts suggest that the issue reflects a systemic challenge in rapidly urbanising cities where financial planning has lagged behind population growth. Pune’s water demand has consistently outpaced its approved quota since 2016, indicating structural stress on both infrastructure and governance frameworks. A senior municipal official highlighted that continued overuse risks punitive measures and underscores the need for alternative sourcing strategies, including groundwater augmentation, inter-basin transfers, and rainwater harvesting initiatives aligned with climate-resilient city planning. From a socio-economic perspective, residents could face service disruptions if the corporation fails to settle arrears or secure supplementary sources. Businesses and property developments reliant on consistent water supply may experience operational constraints, and sectors like manufacturing and hospitality could see increased costs from contingency measures. Urban planners emphasise that long-term mitigation requires investment in metering, tariff rationalisation, and infrastructure upgrades, alongside transparent financial governance.
The broader environmental context is also significant. Excessive extraction from Khadakwasla impacts both downstream agriculture and ecological flows, while municipal water shortfalls in a city of Pune’s scale exacerbate inequities in access. City authorities are expected to announce contingency measures within the next week, potentially including temporary rationing, alternative water sourcing, and accelerated collections. Stakeholders in urban sustainability underscore that this episode illustrates the urgent need for integrated water resource management to balance fiscal responsibility, citizen access, and climate-adapted infrastructure.
