Pune water supply schemes facing delays and operational failures came under sharp criticism at the Pune Zilla Parishad general meeting, where President Virdhawal Jagdale directed the Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran and the Zilla Parishad water supply department to complete necessary action and submit a report within a week.
Members said several villages were not receiving adequate water because projects remained incomplete or existing sources were insufficient. Complaints of water scarcity had not resulted in timely solutions, they said, raising concerns over the administration’s preparedness for shortages in remote and drought-prone parts of the district.
The meeting, chaired by Jagdale, also reviewed the district’s proposed water-scarcity plan. Officials said the plan would be finalised and sent to the district collector. Chief Executive Officer Gajanan Patil, Vice-President Vivek Valse Patil, Additional Chief Executive Officer Chandrakant Waghmare and chairpersons of various subject committees attended the meeting.
Zilla Parishad member Tanuja Ghanwat raised the issue of incomplete work on the Kadus regional water-supply scheme, saying villages were not receiving water. Deepti Bhogade said incomplete Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran schemes in the Varude area of Khed taluka had intensified the shortage and created difficulties in securing drinking water for livestock.
Group leader Shivaji Buchade drew attention to the first and second phases of the Mulshi regional water-supply scheme. Jagdale said a separate meeting would be held to review the project. Smita Kanse said villages covered by a regional scheme in Junnar taluka had gone without water for eight days, while Swati Pachundkar raised the water-supply issue in Morachi Chincholi.
Members Suvarna Darekar and Priti Thorat highlighted shortages in Satgaon Plateau and the eastern parts of Ambegaon taluka. They also demanded meetings at the panchayat samiti level to jointly review works under the Jal Jeevan Mission and projects being implemented by the Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran.
The meeting also identified gaps in the repair of hand pumps and borewells. Karan Khalate said vehicles were not being made available on time for hand-pump repairs, while staff and essential equipment were inadequate. Group leader Vijay Shinde sought the inclusion of shortage-affected villages in Khed taluka in the district’s water-scarcity plan. Jagdale and Patil said additional staff would be made available to repair borewells.
Members further raised concerns over delays in installing sluice gates on small bunds and water-retention structures. Vikram Khutwad said water was flowing away and that gram panchayats under administrators were neglecting the work. Jagdale ordered action against gram sevaks in villages where sluice gates were not installed on time despite water being available in streams and drains.
The immediate administrative milestones are the separate review of the Mulshi scheme, finalisation of the water-scarcity plan for submission to the district collector and the report due within a week from the Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran and the Zilla Parishad water-supply department.
