Pimpri-Chinchwad Seeks 760 MLD From Mulshi Dam Amid Water Crisis; State Orders Usage Audit

Pimpri, 12th March 2025: Water Resources Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil has directed the department to conduct an audit of the water supplied to the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) and its utilization. Meanwhile, the city is facing a shortfall of 620 million liters per day (MLD) of water, prompting local representatives and municipal authorities to demand 760 MLD from the Mulshi Dam.

A meeting chaired by Vikhe-Patil was held at the Mantralaya to discuss the city’s water issues. Present at the meeting were Water Resources Secretary Deepak Kapoor, Krishna Khore, Development Corporation’s Executive Director Atul Kapole, Chief Engineer Hanumant Gunale, MLAs Mahesh Landge and Shankar Jagtap, PCMC Commissioner Shekhar Singh, and officials from the water supply department. Commissioner Singh made a presentation explaining the necessity of Mulshi Dam’s water supply for Pimpri-Chinchwad.

For the past five and a half years, the city has been receiving water on alternate days. Currently, it is supplied with 520 MLD from Pavana Dam, 80 MLD from Andra Dam, and 20 MLD from MIDC, totaling 620 MLD. However, the city requires 750 MLD, creating a shortage of 130 MLD. With a 7% annual population growth rate, the projected water demand will rise to 814 MLD in the coming years. Considering this, PCMC has requested 760 MLD from the Mulshi Dam.

In response, Minister Vikhe-Patil has ordered a water usage audit and a review of PCMC’s water-related reports by the Chief Water Examiner. He expressed satisfaction with PCMC’s wastewater recycling efforts and instructed officials to undertake desilting and maintenance of the Mulshi Dam.

By 2041, the city’s growing population will require an additional 760 MLD of water. To address this, PCMC had sent a formal request to the Water Resources Department on 6th December 2023, seeking to reserve this quantity from Mulshi Dam. The department, in turn, advised PCMC to coordinate with the state government. Additionally, the merger of seven neighboring villages—Hinjawadi, Maan, Marunji, Nere, Jambe, Sangwade, and Gahunje—is in its final stages. Given the anticipated future demand, PCMC has reiterated its request to secure 760 MLD from Mulshi Dam.