The PCMC’s plan to supply 120 MLD (million litres per day) treated
water from its sewage treatment plants at Kasarwadi to industries in the
municipal limit was to be implemented on a public-private partnership
basis. However, civic officials say a foreign company that had initially
evinced interest in the recycling project later backed out. The
officials said the project also required a large investment.

The water scarcity prevailing in the state has brought to the fore the
importance of using water judiciously. Besides, drinking water needs of
Pimpri Chinchwad are increasing along with the population. The
irrigation department supplies a fixed amount of water to the PCMC from
the Pavana dam, which needs to be used sensibly so that citizens get
adequate water, say civic activists.

At present the municipal
corporation supplies 425 million litres drinking water per day to the
city. The corporation treats around 260 MLD sewage at its treatment
plants and releases the treated water back into the rivers. The civic
administration says that if a large portion of this treated water is
recycled and used for industrial or other non-drinking purposes, the
drinking water quota can be utilised to meet the city’s growing needs.

Deputy chief ministerAjit Pawar,
during his visits to Pimpri Chinchwad, has consistently pointed out the
need to recycle water. It was based on his suggestion that the
administration mooted the project.

Civic officials said that
some industries in the municipal limits use drinking water supplied by
the Maharashtra Industries Development Corporation (MIDC) for their
industrial and drinking usage. They said the state government needed to
give incentives to these industries to switch to PCMC’s treated water.
The government should also provide compensation to the MIDC for its
losses, the officials said.

Civic body mulls one-time water supply

Pune: The water supply department of the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) is considering a proposal to supply water to the city only once a day to ensure equitable supply during the summer.

Citizens will, however, continue to get the same quantity of water.

Acting city engineer and chief of the civic water supply department MT
Kamble said, “The demand for water in the municipal limits goes up every
summer. As a result, the areas at the end of the pipeline network face
water shortage during the season. So the civic water supply department
is considering a proposal to supply water once a day instead of two
times.”

Kamble said, “The quantum of water supplied to each
area will remain the same; we will supply the whole quota at one time.
This will ensure that sufficient water reaches the tail-end areas of the
pipeline network.”

“As civic office-bearers and corporators
will be taken into confidence before implementing this proposal, the
actual implementation will take time,” Kamble added.

Another
civic official said, “Various parts of the state are facing severe
drought. So there is a likelihood that the relatives of local residents
from these drought-affected areas might migrate to our city in large
numbers. Moreover, local residents who normally go to their native
villages in summer will not do so if the villages are drought hit. As a
result, the demand for water in the city is expected to increase more
than usual this summer. So there is a need for people to conserve water
and reduce wastage.”