Pune water security plan moves closer to execution
Pune’s plan to strengthen drinking-water infrastructure in its rapidly urbanising outskirts has moved forward, with the Central Water and Power Research Station (CWPRS) responding positively to a proposal to make about 2.5 hectares available at Khadakwasla for a new 200 MLD treatment plant. The facility is planned for areas added to Pune’s municipal limits, where population growth is placing greater pressure on an already expanding water network.
The proposed plant is expected to serve around 13 lakh residents across 16 merged villages. The land proposal is significant because securing a suitable site is one of the early hurdles in building large public water infrastructure. The CWPRS is a Government of India research institution under the Ministry of Jal Shakti and is based at Khadakwasla. The civic administration has held discussions with the research station over the possible land transfer. The positive response does not yet amount to a completed transfer, however. Further administrative approvals, technical studies, land arrangements and project planning will be required before construction can begin. The proposed capacity is also part of a broader effort to expand Pune’s water-treatment system. PMC’s own water-supply planning documents envisage additional treatment capacity, transmission infrastructure and service reservoirs as the city’s distribution network is extended. The corporation’s recent planning has also moved towards a longer-term framework for treatment plants, including modernisation of existing facilities and preparation for future demand.
For the merged villages, the issue is not simply whether more water can be treated. Urban expansion has to be matched by the pipes, pumping systems, storage and local distribution needed to deliver that water reliably. Without those links, additional treatment capacity can remain disconnected from household-level service improvements. The Khadakwasla location also makes water-resource planning particularly sensitive. CWPRS has undertaken water-quality and reservoir studies in the region, including work related to Khadakwasla and other major water bodies. That makes careful source protection, treatment standards and environmental monitoring important as the city increases its dependence on regional water infrastructure.
A 200 MLD facility would therefore be more than another municipal asset. It could become part of the infrastructure backbone supporting Pune’s outward growth. But capacity should be planned alongside demand management, leakage reduction, efficient distribution and protection of water sources. The immediate priority is to convert the land proposal into a legally and technically viable project. For residents of the merged areas, the measure of success will ultimately be consistent, safe and equitable water supply rather than the capacity of the treatment plant alone.
