Pay arrears by Jan. 31 else face disconnection of water supply: PMC to govt. bodies

Numerous central and state government offices along with the Pune and Khadki cantonments and the railway depend on the PMC for their water supply

In a crackdown on government bodies with overdue water bills, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has decided to dispatch notices to the concerned institutions demanding the payment of arrears by January 31 failing which, their water supply will be disconnected.

According to the PMC water supply department, payment of a total ₹650 crore in water bills is pending for more than a decade. (REPRESENTATIVE PIC)

Numerous central and state government offices along with the Pune and Khadki cantonments and the railway depend on the PMC for their water supply. According to the PMC water supply department, payment of a total ₹650 crore in water bills is pending for more than a decade. Of the arrears of ₹650 crore, ₹250 crore belongs to the central, state, semi-government, Khadki and Pune cantonments. The lack of response on the part of the concerned bodies despite continuous efforts to recover the arrears has prompted the issuance of fresh notices on the part of the PMC.

On Tuesday, PMC commissioner Vikram Kumar told media persons, “There is need for timely payment, warning of water supply cutoff if arrears persist beyond January 31. We will take action to discontinue the water supply of government bodies that haven’t paid the water bills.”

Last year too, the municipal corporation had undertaken a campaign to retrieve arrears from government institutions. Pune cantonment alone had owed the PMC ₹40 crore, leading to temporary disconnection of water supply. Despite a prompt payment of ₹2 crore on the part of the Pune cantonment, the remaining arrears were not paid. Accordingly, this year’s campaign is set to be more stringent.

Phursungi water supply to resume by Jan. 31

Meanwhile, a plan to supply water to Uruli Devachi, Phursungi and Mantarwadi through the Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran is underway. Despite completion of the pipeline, storage tank, and water plant, the project faced delays due to railway permission issues. With the railway’s approval, the project is now nearing completion. Water from the Mutha right canal, causing wastage, will be redirected to Phursungi through a direct pipeline from the Pune cantonment water treatment plant (WTP). Pump installation at the water centre is expected to conclude next month, facilitating the resumption of water supply to the specified areas. Deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar inspected the project on Tuesday, December 26.