Pune mayor Manjusha Nagpure has ordered the municipal administration to take strict action against water leakage, unauthorised connections and water theft as the city faces the possibility of worsening shortages. She has also directed officials to regulate private tanker rates and establish round-the-clock water shortage and disaster control rooms across all 15 regional offices.
The instructions include appointing special teams to identify leaks in major water pipelines, distribution lines and storage tanks, and completing repairs urgently. Officials have been told to detect unauthorised connections and commercial water theft, disconnect such connections and initiate legal action, including penalties against those responsible.
The proposed control rooms will operate 24 hours a day with staff from the water supply, health and disaster management departments working in shifts. The mayor has also asked the administration to create a dedicated helpline and WhatsApp system for residents to report leakage, tanker requirements and other water-supply complaints.
The administration has set an objective of resolving such complaints within 24 hours, according to the report. The control rooms at the regional offices are also expected to coordinate tanker operations in areas affected by shortages.
Nagpure has directed officials to restrict the use of drinking water for washing vehicles, private construction, swimming pools, gardens and lawns, as well as for washing roads. Violations are to attract penal action, and water connections may be disconnected where necessary, the report said.
Tanker supply is another focus of the measures. The mayor has called for transparent management of tanker operations to prevent residents from being overcharged during a shortage. The instructions include providing free municipal tankers in water-stressed areas, imposing strict limits on private tanker rates and taking action against black-market water sales.
The directives also call for a detailed, phased water-supply plan based on an assessment of available water storage. Officials have been asked to ensure that areas on the far edges of the city receive adequate supplies and that no locality is unfairly treated in the distribution process.
The proposed system places regional offices at the centre of complaint handling, leakage response and tanker coordination. Its effectiveness will depend on how quickly the municipal administration identifies problem locations, publishes or communicates tanker arrangements, and submits the action report requested by the mayor.
The administration has been instructed to submit a detailed report on the action taken within three days to the mayor’s office.
