Pune’s water planning will include a 10% buffer reserve for drinking water, while the Pune Municipal Corporation has been asked to plan for the allocation of 13 TMC of water, Deputy Chief Minister and Pune district guardian minister Sunetra Pawar said at a canal advisory committee meeting.
Pawar directed public representatives from urban and rural areas, the municipal corporation and the Water Resources Department to work together to manage water for drinking and agriculture. She also called for economical use of available water to address the possibility of future shortages.
The meeting was held at the Divisional Commissioner’s Office in Pune. Water Resources Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, Agriculture Minister Dattatray Bharane, MPs Supriya Sule and Shrirang Barne, MLAs and other local representatives were present.
Pawar said planning was being carried out according to directions from the Water Resources Department, with emphasis on implementing the allocation decisions on the ground. She referred to discussions over the possible impact of El Niño that have continued for the past six months and said water planning needed serious attention.
For Pune city, she instructed the municipal corporation to use the available water carefully and prepare effective supply plans. The proposal to make 13 TMC of water available to the Pune Municipal Corporation is also to be incorporated into the planning process. The corporation and the Water Resources Department were asked to implement the plan transparently after considering storage levels in the Khadakwasla dam system.
The directions also include public awareness measures on water use, possible water cuts and activities that consume larger quantities of water. Pawar said separate control rooms should be established in every municipal zonal office for this purpose. The Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation was also instructed to take necessary precautions in its water planning.
The allocation issue has an agricultural dimension as well. Pawar said kharif crop production had declined during the current monsoon season, making it necessary to plan water availability for the upcoming rabi season. She called for equitable planning that considers the drinking-water needs of urban residents and the irrigation requirements of rural areas.
The government is also pursuing a long-term city water-supply plan and the determination of an overall water-use quota. According to Pawar, meetings are being held under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister to follow up on these issues. The water-rotation plan agreed during the meeting is to be implemented, after which the situation will be reviewed again in December or January.
