Pune: Groundwater Recharge Initiative Stalls as 52 PCMC School Installations Go Defunct Due to Poor Maintenance
Pimpri Chinchwad, 2nd July 2026: A rainwater harvesting initiative across 52 Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) schools, launched to promote groundwater recharge and water conservation among students, has fallen into disrepair due to poor maintenance, the Environment Conservation Association (ECA) has alleged.
The CSR-funded project, implemented by the ECA over the past few years, involved installing rainwater harvesting systems in civic schools with the objective of replenishing groundwater while serving as a practical learning tool for students on sustainable water management.
According to the NGO, the responsibility for maintaining the systems was formally handed over to the respective schools after installation. However, a recent assessment found that many of the installations had become non-functional because of a lack of basic upkeep.
The association said it had repeatedly approached the PCMC education department, environment department, assistant commissioners and other civic authorities over the past year, urging them to restore the systems. It claimed that despite reminders, including a communication from the assistant commissioner (education), no corrective action had been taken.
“The systems were installed to secure future water resources and create awareness among students about groundwater recharge. It is disappointing that the responsibility of maintaining them has been ignored,” an ECA representative said.
The NGO also alleged that its attempts to raise the issue with senior civic officials had yielded little response, claiming that repeated efforts to meet the municipal commissioner had been unsuccessful.
Calling for immediate intervention, the ECA urged the civic administration to direct schools to repair and restore the rainwater harvesting systems, arguing that neglecting the infrastructure not only wastes CSR funds but also undermines groundwater conservation efforts at a time when the city is facing recurring water shortages and rainfall deficits.
