Pune’s daily water demand fell by 25 to 30 million litres during the Diwali holiday period as residents left the city for their hometowns, according to information from the Pune Municipal Corporation’s water supply department. The reduction brought demand down from the city’s usual level of about 1,710 million litres per day to between 1,680 and 1,685 million litres per day.
The decline was recorded despite expectations that household water use could rise during the festival period. The water supply department said the lower demand was linked to residents leaving Pune during the Diwali holidays. Many people who have moved to the city for employment and business return to their native places during the festival, reducing the number of people using water in the city for several days.
The reduction of 25 million litres a day is equivalent to 2.5 crore litres. At the upper end of the department’s estimate, the decline reached 30 million litres a day, or 3 crore litres. The figures refer to the city’s daily water demand during the Diwali period and were provided by the municipal water supply department after information was sought on the change in consumption.
Pune has a large population that has settled in the city from different parts of Maharashtra and other states for work and business. The report identifies residents from Marathwada, western Maharashtra, Khandesh, Vidarbha and other states among those who travel to their native places during Diwali. Their temporary absence affects activity across the city, including traffic and market footfall, as well as demand for municipal water.
The same seasonal movement was visible on Pune’s roads during the holidays, with traffic congestion easing and roads that are usually crowded appearing less busy. Market areas also recorded lower footfall, according to the report. The fall in water demand provides a utility-level measure of how short-term population movement changes the pressure on essential urban services.
Under normal conditions, Pune’s daily water demand is approximately 1,710 million litres, based on information from the municipal water supply department. During the Diwali period, the department recorded demand of 1,680 million litres to 1,685 million litres. The difference indicates that the city’s water requirement can shift by tens of millions of litres when a significant number of residents are temporarily away.
The figures do not establish whether the reduction was uniform across all parts of Pune or how long demand remained below the usual level. The report also does not provide ward-wise consumption data, details of the volume supplied or information on whether commercial and industrial use changed during the holidays. The municipal water supply department’s next reported assessment will indicate whether demand returns to the usual level after residents come back to the city.
