Pune’s Sajag Nagrik Manch has opposed a proposed increase in the city’s water cuts from 13% to 20%, arguing that the Khadakwasla dam chain currently holds enough water to maintain the existing restriction until 31 August 2027. The organisation submitted a memorandum to Pune Municipal Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram ahead of a 28 October meeting involving the Water Resources Department and political parties.
The demand comes after the district administration suggested that Pune’s water cuts be raised to 20%. In his memorandum, Sajag Nagrik Manch president Vivek Velankar presented an assessment of available storage and the city’s projected requirement between October 2026 and August 2027. The organisation said the city would require 17.40 thousand million cubic feet (TMC) of water during that period if there were no cuts.
According to the figures cited in the memorandum, continuing the current arrangement of keeping water supply shut every Thursday could save approximately 2.40 TMC. This would bring Pune’s requirement down to about 15 TMC, the organisation said. The Khadakwasla dam chain has 25.66 TMC of available water, according to the report.
The organisation further stated that, even after reserving water for Pune, sufficient storage would remain for irrigation and drinking-water reservoirs serving Daund and Indapur. These calculations form the basis of its argument that a 20% cut is not necessary. The claims and figures were presented by Velankar in the memorandum submitted to the municipal commissioner.
The dispute places Pune’s water allocation process ahead of the 28 October meeting, where the Water Resources Department and political parties are expected to discuss the city’s water supply. The decision will determine whether the existing 13% restriction continues or whether residents face a deeper reduction in supply.
The memorandum has also raised questions about the implementation of Pune’s equal water supply scheme. Velankar said the Pune Municipal Corporation had spent Rs 2,000 crore on the scheme over five years and demanded a white paper detailing how much water leakage had been reduced and how far the objective of equal water distribution had been achieved.
The demand for a white paper links the immediate question of water cuts to the municipal system’s performance. While the current dispute is focused on reservoir availability and the city’s projected requirement, the organisation is also seeking publicly documented information on whether the infrastructure investment has improved distribution and reduced losses. The next formal step is the meeting scheduled for 28 October involving the Water Resources Department and political parties.
