Water supply to Pune Airport, compelling authorities to resort to tanker deliveries on Tuesday and Wednesday.
In recent years, Pune Airport has experienced a substantial surge in passenger traffic, witnessing an annual capacity rise to approximately 70 lakh. Notably, in 2023, passenger numbers soared to 94.59 lakh, marking a significant increase from the 69.26 lakh recorded in 2022. Compounded by the onset of summer, the situation has necessitated airport authorities to seek assistance from the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) for water tanker deliveries. Despite the municipal corporation dispatching 15 to 20 tankers to the airport to address the demand, some passengers have voiced grievances regarding water shortages.
The PMC, responsible for water supply to areas including Viman Nagar, Ganesh Nagar, Vishrantwadi, and Kalas, extended its services to the airport. However, service interruptions ensued following a pipeline rupture in Ravet on Tuesday afternoon. Prompt action by departmental staff resulted in containment of the leak by Wednesday midnight, as confirmed by Indrabhan Ranadive, superintending engineer of the water supply department. With insufficient rainfall last year leading to dwindling water levels at the Khadakwasla dam, Pune faces a severe water crisis. The PMC has intensified efforts to supply water to suburban areas, but pipeline bursts have exacerbated the issue. Additionally, a significant leakage incident occurred in the pipeline supplying water to the Camp Water Purification Project, resulting in the daily wastage of seven to eight lakh litres of water.
Despite the considerable water loss, repair work has been temporarily deferred due to the impending Lok Sabha polls. However, citizens continue to suffer from water supply interruptions during leak repair activities. Post-elections, the water supply department intends to address leakage issues to mitigate water wastage and alleviate citizens’ hardships. The city grapples with a severe water crisis as the primary water source, the dam, fails to reach expected storage levels due to insufficient rainfall. Current water reserves are projected to last only 40 days, prompting frustration among citizens. Furthermore, the municipal corporation faces challenges with a reduction of 50 MLD in water supply from the water resources department over the past month. In response, the PMC has been directed to conserve water and utilize available resources judiciously. With no prospect of additional water from the water resources department, the municipal corporation must efficiently manage and distribute the limited water supply to meet the city’s needs amidst the ongoing crisis.
