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High Court raps PMC, state govt for Pune dist water shortage issue
Considering the severity of the water problem and the urgency involved, the court has kept the PIL for further hearing on January 9, 2023
A bench of Bombay High Court (HC) on Thursday berated the Government of Maharashtra, Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) and Zilla Parishad (ZP) Pune for overlooking a long pending water scarcity issue. The division bench, headed by acting chief justice Sanjay Gangapurwala and justice Santosh Chapalgaonkar took serious note of the delaying tactics and gave the governing bodies the last chance to file their detailed affidavits latest by January 3, 2023.
Considering the severity of the water problem and the urgency involved, the court has kept the PIL for further hearing on January 9, 2023.
The judges made their observations during a hearing of the petition filed by citizens forums of Pune on Thursday.
Satya Muley, advocate, Supreme Court and Bombay High Court, brought to the notice of the HC that this is a delaying tactic of the respondents and demonstrates how little they care about the water scarcity problem faced by the residents of the Pune district.
Speaking on behalf of the petitioners, Muley said instead of attempting to solve the residents’ water-related grievances, these local bodies appear to run away from the problem or find excuses and pass on the blame to other government bodies.
The bench had earlier directed the state government to record progress and address the issue of water scarcity faced by residents of the Pune District.
“The state government has failed to bring any information about the formation, implementation, and progress of such a committee. The PMRDA and Zilla Parishad under whom a major region of the urban area of Pune district falls, have failed to file any affidavit as directed on November 29 by the Bombay High Court,” Muley submitted before the court.
PCMC has passed on the blame to the exponential increase in population, and limited permission for lifting of water granted by the irrigation department, which was based on the 2018 data.
The civic body also has made a request to the HC to direct the state government to review the water lifting permission granted in 2018 and also provide alternate sources. PCMC also has submitted that the government has doubled the water charges leading to an additional financial burden on the civic body.
In this case, Wagholi Housing Societies Association, Pune District Co-operative Housing Societies And Apartments Federation, Akhil Bharatiya Grahak Panchayat, Pimpri-Chinchwad Co-operative Housing Welfare Societies Federation Ltd, Baner-Pashan Link Road Welfare Trust, Balewadi Residency Co-operative Housing Welfare Federation Ltd, Dear Society Welfare Association, Bavdhan Citizens Forum, Hinjawadi Employees and Residents Trust, Aundh Vikas Mandal and Association of Nagar Road Citizens Forum are the petitioners, who had filed a PIL at Bombay High Court through Adv Muley.
