All parties lash out at PMC after frequent water cuts

Despite rainy season and adequate water capacity in dams, many areas in the city are facing water cuts

Despite rainy season and adequate water capacity in dams, many areas in the city are facing water cuts. As the central part of the city and periphery areas are facing water problems, all political parties have lashed out at the municipal administration.

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The ruling Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) members blamed that their areas are facing water scarcity for the last many days. After almost 23 elected members raised the water issue, the mayor instructed the water department head Aniruddha Pawaskar to ask the administration to visit these areas and sort out the issue.

NCP city unit president Prashant Jagtap said, “Though 2.5 TMC water was added from Bhama Askhed dam this year, it is sad that the city is facing water issues. Earlier it was said that once the water from Bhama Askhed arrived, the rest of the city would get enough water but there is no improvement.”

BJP leader Gopal Chintal said, “For the last many years we have been hearing the same issues. On one side we are executing many mega projects like the metro. Even the city got a new identity like IT city, Smart city but we failed to sort out the water issue despite having good rainfall.”

Sachin Dodke raised the issue of pipelines in the recently merged villages.

Dodke said, “The four years before villages merged in the city PMC laid the new water pipelines in these areas but did not connect these lines to main water pipelines. If the water pipelines are not connected to PMC water supply, what is the use in erecting these pipelines which are lying idle? Even PMC did not acquire water projects from Jeevan Pradikaran which is state owned and used to provide water for these areas earlier.”

Many corporators from merged villages said, “PMC is collecting water tax from these areas but providing water once in a week. Ambegaon, Sadesatra Nali, Warje, Uruli Devachi, Phursungi all these areas are not getting water.”

PMC water department head Aniruddha Pawaskar said, “It is true that the water supply in some areas was disturbed. The work of a 24x7 water pipeline is going on, including the work to construct 88 water tanks. Once this scheme would get operational, the problem of each area would get sorted out.”

Pawaskar also assured that the senior officials from the water department would visit areas mentioned by elected members in coming days and sort out the issue by offering local solutions.

Pawaskar said, “The PMC is giving daily 200 water tankers for Phursungi and Uruli Devachi.”

The leader of house Ganesh Bidkar instructed to increase some water tankers in merged villages.