PUNE: The PimpriChinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) is yet to start work on its ambitious project to recycle treated water, four years after the corporation proposed the project. The project would prevent use of drinking water for industrial purposes and reduce water shortage experienced in some areas in the municipal limits.

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."