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Aga Khan Palace without water for 45 days, PMC cut supply over non-payment of dues
According to the PMC water department officials, supply was stopped at Aga Khan Palace on February 5 due to non-payment of dues worth over ₹1.70 crore
PUNE Pune’s iconic Aga Khan Palace, where Mahatma Gandhi was kept as a prisoner during the country’s freedom struggle, is facing acute water scarcity. This historical monument has been without water supply for more than one-and-a-half months after Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) disconnected its supply owing to non-payment of dues.
According to the PMC water department officials, supply was stopped at Aga Khan Palace on February 5 due to non-payment of dues worth over ₹1.70 crore.
Officials of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), which manages the monument, on Tuesday said they have requested the PMC to provide a new water connection in the ASI’s name so that visitors are not inconvenienced.
The Aga Khan Palace, located on Ahmednagar road, was built by Sultan Mahomed Shah Aga Khan III in 1892. Mahatma Gandhi was placed under house arrest at this palace for 21 months. The palace was more than just a prison for Gandhi, as it held a special place in his heart following two tragedies that happened while he was imprisoned there — the death of his wife Kasturba Gandhi and his secretary Mahadev Desai.
Hundreds of visitors from across India and abroad visit the palace every day. On weekdays, the monument attracts 700 to 800 visitors, and on weekends, the number goes up to 1,200, said ASI officials.
Gajanan Mandaware, ASI’s conservation assistant at the palace said that the garden is spread across six acres, and is largely affected due to the water scarcity and visitors are also facing hardship as they do not have water for drinking purpose.
According to Vikram Kumar, PMC commissioner, despite repeated reminders, the dues were not cleared as a result of which water supply had to be disconnected. “They have total three connections of which one of them is in the garden of Aga Khan Palace. We have already requested them to use treated water for the garden. PMC gave them enough time and at the same time several meetings with ASI took place for clearing dues which are approximately ₹2 crore,” said Kumar.
Besides a water connection for the garden, another is for staff quarter and third is for the palace. Spread over 19 acres of land, the palace is one of the 17 heritage sites picked up for ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ — an initiative of the Centre to commemorate 75 years of India’s independence. In the garden outside the palace, the samadhis of Kasturba Gandhi and Mahadev Desai are present, next to the memorial of Gandhi, where his ashes are kept.
According to PMC water supply department’s chief engineer Aniruddha Pawaskar, a three-inch water pipe connection for the palace garden was disconnected on February 5 due to an unpaid water bill amounting to ₹1.72 crore. The water connection which was disconnected was in the name of superintendent, parks and garden, Mahatma Gandhi Memorial.
‘’According to the PMC, there is a water bill unpaid for the last 30 years. The bill suddenly popped up this year and the connection was disconnected,’’ said Pawaskar.
Mandaware said they have written a letter to the PMC to provide them a new water connection in the ASI’s name, so that visitors do not face any inconvenience. The issue pertaining to the present unpaid bill will also be handled at a higher level, he said.
The ASI official said they are also looking into making the old borewells functional to water the garden and trees in the premises.
Built by Sultan Mahomed Shah Aga Khan III in 1892, the Palace was later donated to India by Aga Khan IV in 1969. Before the palace was taken over by the Gandhi Smarak Nidhi,it used to be a residential school from 1953 to 1972. And before that, it was used as a mess for Air Force officers during the World War 2.
