Pune’s water allocation could fall short before the next monsoon, prompting Pune Municipal Corporation standing committee chairman Shrinath Bhimale to seek an additional 13 TMC of water for the city from November 1, 2026, to June 30, 2027. Bhimale submitted a memorandum to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis during a meeting in Pune, urging the state government to secure a separate allocation for the city.
The demand follows a decision of the Pune district canal committee, which approved a water quota of 13.2 TMC for Pune for the period from July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2027. According to the report, the allocation was understood to cover the full year, including the monsoon period. This has raised concern that the quantity remaining for the months before the next monsoon may not be sufficient for the city.
Of the approved 13.2 TMC quota, 6.35 TMC had already been consumed by the end of October, leaving 7.15 TMC for the remaining eight months until June 2027. Pune requires around 1.5 TMC of water every month, according to the figures cited in the report. At that rate, the city would need approximately 12 TMC during the eight-month period even with a 10% water cut in force.
Bhimale said the remaining allocation was likely to be inadequate to meet Pune’s requirements and requested that the chief minister direct the relevant authorities to provide 13 TMC separately until the onset of the next monsoon. The proposed additional quantity is intended to address the gap between the city’s estimated requirement and the water available under the existing annual quota.
The request also seeks a change in how water released from dams through canals and rivers during the monsoon is counted. Bhimale has demanded that such monsoon releases be excluded from Pune’s annual water quota. The memorandum therefore covers both an immediate increase in allocation and a revision to the way the city’s water entitlement is calculated.
Pune’s water requirement is linked in the memorandum to a population of more than 70 lakh. The figures presented in the demand show the pressure created when an annual allocation is counted across periods with different supply conditions. Although the approved quota totals 13.2 TMC for the full allocation year, more than half had been used by the end of October, leaving a balance that the civic representative considers insufficient for the eight months ahead.
The issue now rests with the state government and the authorities responsible for canal and dam water releases. The next decision will determine whether Pune receives an additional 13 TMC allocation for the period up to June 30, 2027, and whether monsoon water releases are treated separately from the city’s annual quota.
