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Pune water scarcity: Bombay HC asks govt agencies to file response by Dec 13
Multiple areas in the city have been reeling under a water crisis due to which various residents’ forums and activists had filed a petition in the high court in October 2022
The Bombay high court - while hearing a petition regarding inadequate water supply to the Pune suburbs - has directed government agencies to file their affidavits by December 13. Multiple areas in the city have been reeling under a water crisis due to which various residents’ forums and activists had filed a petition in the high court in October 2022.
Hearing the petition, a division bench comprising chief justice Dipankar Datta and justice Abhay Ahuja on Tuesday expressed concern over the domestic-use water supply to the residents of Pune, and directed the Maharashtra government, Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran, Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporations, PMRDA and zilla parishad (Pune) to file their affidavits latest by December 13. “The concern expressed in this public interest litigation (PIL) by various housing societies is serious. It relates to deficient water supply for domestic use by the residents of Pune district,” the bench observed in its order.
According to the PIL, areas such as Baner, Balewadi, Wagholi, and Hinjewadi are facing a serious water problem and the residents do not get water supply from the corporation even for 15 minutes a day due to which they have to rely heavily on water tankers.
“The PIL petition shall be listed fairly high on board on December 15, 2022. Depending on the nature of the reply-affidavits filed by the respondents, we wish to consider granting time to the petitioner to file a rejoinder-affidavit,” the bench said.
Earlier, it was argued on behalf of the residents of Pune that while all dams and reservoirs in Pune district are at 100% of their capacity, water still does not reach the residents of Pune district through the water pipelines and taps of the PMC and PCMC.
According to the ministry of housing and urban affairs, 135 litres per capita per day (lpcd) has been suggested as the benchmark for urban water supply. “The situation is so bad that in several areas of Pune, residents are not getting even 20 litres of water supply per head per day,” advocate Satya Muley said in his argument. He appeared for the petitioners who are seeking relief from inadequate water supply.
Reacting to the court order, chief engineer, PMC water supply department, Annirudh Pawaskar, said, “The civic body will file its response in the matter. The PMC has appointed a consultant for 34 villages and we are planning for a wate supply scheme in the villages in a phase-wise manner. Regarding old Pune city, after the completion of the equitable water supply scheme, the water supply will improve and people will get sufficient domestic water.”
Earlier in 2016, the attention of the high court had been drawn towards the water shortage in the Baner and Balewadi areas, and the high court had imposed a stay on granting permissions to new constructions in the PMC area.
