PMC says no decision yet on handing over Khadakwasla pumping station to WRD
Recently, the WRD escalated the issue by sending a letter to PMC, demanding that its pumping station at the Khadakwasla dam be handed over
The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and the Water Resources Department (WRD) are at loggerheads over water management issues in the city. The WRD has in the past accused PMC of overusing water from the Khadakwasla dam and failing to manage the city’s water supply effectively.
Recently, the WRD escalated the issue by sending a letter to PMC, demanding that its pumping station at the Khadakwasla dam be handed over. If PMC agrees, control of Pune’s water supply will transfer to the WRD. However, PMC officials on Tuesday clarified that no decision has been made yet.
There are four jack well systems that pump raw water from the Khadakwasla dam. Two are located in Warje, one is in Parvati, and one is in Kondhawe-Dhawade near the Khadakwasla dam which the irrigation division of the water resource department wants control to regulate the water supply of PMC.
Nandkishor Jagtap, chief superintendent engineer of PMC water department, said, “We haven’t made any decision yet on handing over the pumping station. We will discuss the issue with the commissioner and make appropriate decision. We have also appealed to the higher authority that is Maharashtra Water Resources Regulatory Authority (MWRRA) and present our side of more water to cater to the increasing population.”
“MWRRA has given 20 directives about controlling water usage. After that, we had submitted an affidavit of compliance of 20 directives,” he said.
Pune’s water supply primarily comes from the Khadakwasla dam, supplemented by the Bhama-Askhed Dam. PMC operates a pumping station at Khadakwasla, but a recent directive from the MWRRA ordered the transfer of this station to WRD. Acting on this directive, the WRD sent a formal reminder to PMC, pressing for compliance.
The city has an annual water allocation of 14.28 billion cubic feet (TMC), but rapid urbanization and population growth have increased its water needs. To meet the demand, PMC has been drawing more water than its allocated quota from the Khadakwasla dam and paying fines for the excess usage.
Shweta Kurhade, executive engineer of Khadakwasla division, water resources department, said, “MWRRA has given directives to PMC to hand over pumping stations to the water resources department. Based on that, we have sent a letter to PMC on November 29. PMC is using excessive water as per the prescribed water quota (12.82 TMC). After getting control, we will be able to control the water supply and charge money on excessive water lifting from Khadakwasla.”
“MWRRA has given one month of a period to hand over pumping stations to the water resources department. So, we gave a reminder letter to PMC,” he said.
If PMC relinquishes control, it could lose its ability to manage water distribution, raising concerns about whether the city will receive an adequate water supply.