Pune: Letter to Water Resources Minister Flags Mula River Pollution, Warns of Looming Water Crisis in Mahalunge, Maan and Hinjewadi
Pune, 14th November 2026: Residents of Mahalunge, Maan and Hinjewadi have written to state water resources minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, raising concerns over rising pollution in the Mula river and the possibility of a severe water shortage in the area.
In a letter dated November 12, the Mahalunge Township Residents’ Association said nearly 10,000 residential units in the area were already facing water shortages, with several housing societies also reporting poor water quality. Despite the situation, new residential projects are being permitted to install jackwells and extract water from the same river, residents alleged.
The association said several housing societies had been receiving yellowish and foul-smelling tap water since late September. It has sought immediate testing of Mula river water upstream and downstream of extraction points supplying Mahalunge and Blue Ridge Township.
Residents have also urged the government to investigate possible discharge of untreated domestic sewage and industrial effluents into the river and make water quality reports public.
The letter seeks a comprehensive water balance study covering river availability, approved and actual extraction by residential projects, existing consumption and future demand. Residents have also demanded disclosure of water extraction permissions, permitted daily quantities and conditions imposed to maintain the river’s minimum environmental flow.
The association has called for a joint inspection by the water resources department, Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA), Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad municipal corporations, and the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB). It has also sought a review of fresh water extraction permissions.
