Pune: 19 Illegal Motors Confiscated from Water Pipes in Pimpri Chinchwad

Pimpri Chinchwad, 11th April 2024: The water supply in the city of Pimpri Chinchwad was disrupted for eight days due to a significant reduction in water flow from the Andhra Dam. Though water supply has now returned to its previous level of 80 million litres per day (MLD) from Andhra Dam, residents continue to report water shortages in some areas. Specifically, complaints of water scarcity are being reported in the Thergaon and Wakad areas to the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC).

To address these issues, the water supply department has taken action against residents who have been illegally drawing water by attaching motors directly to the water pipes. So far, 19 motors have been confiscated.

Pimpri-Chinchwad City has been receiving water on an alternating-day schedule for the past four years. During April and May, complaints of low water pressure and inadequate supply have risen significantly. Additionally, a substantial decrease in the water received from the Andhra Dam occurred, with only 21 MLD being provided to the city over four days. This shortfall of 59 MLD led to acute water problems in the city’s expanding suburbs, including Wakad, Thergaon, Tathawade, Punawale, Charholi, Moshi, and Dudulgaon.

The PCMC administration quickly took action to resolve the water crisis by consulting with irrigation department officials. As a result, the water supply has been restored to its usual level of 80 million litres per day (MLD) from the Andhra Dam. However, residents continue to report issues with low water pressure and inadequate water supply through the PCMC’s Sarathi helpline. To address the growing number of complaints, PCMC has begun sourcing an additional 10 MLD of water from Pavana Dam.

Daily, the city receives 615 MLD of water, sourced from Pavana Dam (520 MLD), Andhra Dam (80 MLD), and the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation – MIDC (15 MLD). Despite this supply, complaints about the water supply persist.

In the Sangvi area, residents were found to be using motors to draw water directly from the pipes, resulting in issues with water pressure and availability. In response to complaints from the area, the water supply department conducted inspections and seized 19 cars that were using motors to extract water directly from taps. The water supply department plans to continue these inspections.

Meanwhile, many employees of the water supply department have been assigned to election work, which has led to delays in addressing water supply complaints. Chief Engineer Shrikant Savane mentioned that the water supply operations are limited due to a shortage of staff. Action is being taken against those who install motors on taps to draw water.

In response to the situation, the Pune District Collector Dr. Suhas Diwase instructed the assistant returning officers to reassign water supply department employees away from election duties. Deputy Commissioner of General Administration Department Vitthal Joshi stated that replacement workers will be brought in to fill these roles.