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Water Supply

Records of 35,000 water meters go missing, PCMC will probe

Wednesday, 05 September 2012 11:07 administrator
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The Indian Express     05.09.2012

Records of 35,000 water meters go missing, PCMC will probe

The Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has found that the civic record books have no mention of as many as 35,000 water meters reportedly installed by a private firm in Pimpri-Chinchwad. The civic administration has decided to launch a search to ascertain whether water meters were actually installed or not.

Municipal Commissioner Dr Shrikar Pardeshi said he was not aware about the entire installation process until Monday. “I have decided to enquire into the matter. I have asked officials to find out the whereabouts of the meters,” he said. Dr Pardeshi said he has also decided to find why clauses regarding repairing of meters and distribution of bills by private parties were dropped from the agreement. A civic official said this was done without anybody’s knowledge.

PCMC executive engineer Sharad Jadhav said meter system was implemented during the tenure of former municipal commissioner Dilip Band in 2006. “The then civic chief had ordered that water meters for all water connections be installed by a private firm,” he said. Accordingly, meters were installed, but since PCMC does not keep records of illegal water lines, the civic administration has no record of the water meters installed for such lines. “We are tying to find out about the water meters...Our officials are certain that the meters were installed,” Jadhav said.

The civic chief said, “If the water meters are found missing, PCMC will launch a deeper probe into the matter.” Senior civic officials said total cost of the “missing” water meters is Rs 10 crore.

Civic officials said in 2006, PCMC had decided to implement the water meter system. A private firm was given the contract to install 1.39 lakh water meters across the town at a cost of Rs 37 crore. It installed as many as 1.4 lakh meters, the record for which is available with the civic administration, officials said. “However, record of 35,000 meters is not available,” officials said.

Welcoming the civic chief’s step to probe the matter, Shiv Sena corporator Shrirang Barne said, “The entire procedure and agreement of water meter system was bogus. I had raised this issue several times in the civic general body meeting, but the ruling party and the administration did not pay heed,” he said.

 

Pune corporators to oversee water contract with irrigation department

Wednesday, 05 September 2012 07:05 administrator
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The Times of India      05.09.2012

Pune corporators to oversee water contract with irrigation department

PUNE: Approval of the standing committee of the Pune Municipal Corporation as well as the general body will have to be sought before the new water contract between the state irrigation department and the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is signed.

The committee meeting on Tuesday approved a resolution stating that the administration should table the contract details before the committee and the GB and only then initiate further steps in this regard.

"The PMC plans to sign a contract with the irrigation department for water supply," said standing committee chairman Baburao Chandere. "Elected members are of the opinion that they should know the contract terms and conditions."

Shreenath Bhimale, BJP corporator and committee member said, "The city needs around 16 TMC water every year. But the PMC plans to sign a contract for 11.5 TMC. We want to reset the contract terms and conditions so that citizens are not deprived of water."

The PMC and the irrigation department had signed a contract in 2004 that ended in 2010. In this contract, the PMC received 11.5 TMC water from the irrigation department.

The collective storage of dams providing water to the city is 29 TMC. The PMC uses 14.5 TMC every year, while 1.5 TMC water goes to industries and towns, including Daund and Indapur. Around 2 TMC water is lost to vaporisation annually and the remaining water is released for irrigation to Daund, Indapur and Haveli talukas of Pune district and some parts of Solapur in three phases every year, for kharif, rabi and summer crops.

When TOI contacted municipal commissioner Mahesh Pathak, he said, "The civic administration will follow due process in signing the contract. "Earlier, the standing committee and the GB had given the go-ahead to sign a contract," he said.

Last Updated on Wednesday, 05 September 2012 07:06
 

Irrigation department asks PMC to pay Rs 670 cr for increased water quota

Tuesday, 04 September 2012 10:38 administrator
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The Indian Express     04.09.2012

Irrigation department asks PMC to pay Rs 670 cr for increased water quota

 Irrigation

Irrigation dept and PMC had signed an agreement in 2005, valid till 2010, for 11.6 TMC

The drinking water crisis in the city is set to deepen with the irrigation department, which has promised to accept the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) demand for increased quota, seeking Rs 670 crore to construct a tunnel for supply for irrigation purpose and check leakage up to 3 TMC.

The department and PMC had signed an agreement in 2005, valid till 2010, for 11.6 TMC. In April 2012, PMC sought a new agreement for 18.94 TMC to meet the growing demand of the city's population that is projected to increase to 82.1 lakh by 2031.

In its response, the irrigation department said PMC was being provided 11.5 TMC on the condition that it recycles 6.5 TMC and releases it for irrigation. It said the increased demand could be met only if the civic body recycles 10.9 TMC for irrigation.

"There is no chance of getting permission for a new dam as it would affect the storage capacity of other dams. Therefore, recycling of Khadakwasla water should be done efficiently.

"The irrigation department has proposed a tunnel from Khadakwasla to Phursungi in place of the existing canal to supply water for irrigation. The department said this would save 3 TMC lost to leakage and the water could be made available to PMC. The department has asked PMC to pay Rs 534.50 crore for construction of the tunnel," said civic activist Vivek Velankar.

He said the department had said that increase in water use for drinking would reduce availability for irrigation and PMC should pay Rs 135.61 crore to compensate the loss.

In addition, the department has sought Rs 324 crore for infrastructure development to store 2.6 TMC in Bhama Askhed dam and Rs 51 crore for water denied for irrigation.Civic officials said they were readying a reply.

Last Updated on Tuesday, 04 September 2012 10:40
 
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