File FIRs Against Builders Violating Water Affidavits: Pune Divisional Commissioner to PMC and PCMC
Pune, 15th August 2025: Divisional Commissioner Chandrakant Pulkundwar has directed Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) and the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) to take criminal action against developers who fail to honour their “water affidavits” — the written commitments to provide water supply given while obtaining building permissions.
The order was issued on Thursday during a meeting attended by representatives of around 250 housing societies from Pune, Pimpri Chinchwad, and PMRDA areas. Residents voiced strong concerns over chronic water shortages, many saying that promised water supply was never delivered.
Pulkundwar instructed the civic bodies to publish all water affidavits submitted by developers on their respective websites within a week, making them accessible for public scrutiny and potential legal action.
The commissioner also expressed displeasure over the absence of the municipal commissioners of PMC and PCMC, as well as the PMRDA chief, from the meeting. The session was part of a bi-monthly review mandated by the Bombay High Court to address water scarcity in the region.
“There will be no meeting going ahead unless all commissioners are present,” Pulkundwar said firmly. “We have been having these meetings, but without the decision-makers, no effective directions can be issued. FIRs should be registered against developers who fail to comply, and we will follow up on this in the next meeting.”
Advocate Satya Muley, representing multiple housing societies, said written representations from all societies would be submitted to the respective local bodies. “If a builder submitted a water affidavit and later stopped supplying water, both the local body and the societies can file FIRs. Making these affidavits public will empower residents to act,” he said. Muley also confirmed that legal notices would be sent to the three absent civic chiefs and demanded monthly meetings between each local body and housing societies to address operational concerns. “If there is no improvement despite six meetings of the special committee over the past year, contempt petitions may be filed,” he added.
Residents also raised the issue of the tanker water trade, alleging that operators were charging exorbitant rates and delivering contaminated water. Officials assured them that FIRs would be registered against any tanker supplier found distributing polluted water.
Societies from areas including Ravet, NIBM Annexe, Undri, Pargenagar, Bavdhan Budruk, Kharadi, and Balewadi submitted written grievances.
PMC’s water department head, Nandkishore Jagtap, said names of defaulting developers will be published and legal notices issued, with FIRs filed subsequently. He added that a dedicated WhatsApp group will be set up for better coordination between civic officials and society representatives ahead of the next meeting.
Pulkundwar concluded by instructing Muley to assist societies in filing FIRs and pursuing criminal cases against developers who violate water affidavit conditions.
