Pune: District Collector Approves Rs 35.74 Crore Plan Tackle Rural Water Scarcity

Pune, 14th May 2026: In view of the drinking water problems being faced in rural areas, Pune district collector Jitendra Dudi has approved a supplementary water scarcity action plan worth Rs 35.74 lakh, officials from the water supply department said on Wednesday.

Executive engineer of the water supply department Amit Patharwat said the supplementary plan has been prepared to address the anticipated water shortage situation in the district during the April-June 2026 period.

Earlier, a water scarcity action plan worth Rs 35.64 lakh for 2025-26 had been approved on January 1, 2026, covering three phases — October to December 2025, January to March 2026 and April to June 2026. However, following the completion of the zilla parishad and panchayat samiti general elections, newly elected representatives suggested additional measures to tackle water scarcity in their respective areas. Based on these recommendations, the district collector approved the supplementary plan with an increase of Rs 10 lakh on May 7, 2026.

According to officials, the approved supplementary plan includes Rs 10.15 crore for new borewells and tube wells, Rs 12.21 crore for special repairs of piped water supply schemes, and Rs 1.40 crore for repairs of existing borewells.

Additionally, Rs 1.44 crore has been allocated for supplying water through tankers, while Rs 2.92 crore has been earmarked for acquisition of private wells. Funds have also been sanctioned for deepening wells and desilting works, source-strengthening measures and completion of ongoing piped water supply schemes.

Patharwat said that at present, 73 water tankers are supplying drinking water to 71 villages and 358 hamlets across Pune district. He added that around 13,473 livestock in the district are also affected by the water scarcity situation.