A Decade-Long Fight for Water: How Amol Balwadkar Kept Baner–Balewadi’s Crisis on the Civic Agenda
A Decade-Long Fight for Water: How Amol Balwadkar Kept Baner–Balewadi’s Crisis on the Civic Agenda
For more than ten years, residents of Pune’s western corridor, including Baner, Balewadi, and the later-merged Sus–Mahalunge belt, have lived with an uncertain water supply. What started as scattered complaints gradually turned into a sustained civic movement, led by local leader Amol Ratan Balwadkar, who consistently pushed the issue through legal, political, and administrative channels.
From Citizen to Courtroom (2015–2017)
Balwadkar’s involvement began well before he entered electoral politics. In October 2015, as a Balewadi resident, he approached the Bombay High Court on behalf of locals, highlighting the Pune Municipal Corporation’s failure to ensure adequate water supply despite rapid construction in the area.
The petition led to a significant judicial intervention. In June 2017, the High Court restrained the PMC from granting new commencement and occupancy certificates for projects in Baner and Balewadi, citing unchecked construction and unresolved water shortages that had persisted for over a decade. Later that year, the PMC constituted a review committee to monitor the water situation in compliance with the court’s directions.
Using an Elected Platform to Escalate the Issue (2017–2022)
After being elected BJP corporator from the Baner–Balewadi ward in March 2017, Balwadkar intensified his campaign. The water issue remained central to his public work, combining legal action with on-ground mobilisation.
In March 2022, he filed another Public Interest Litigation in the Bombay High Court, this time focusing on Sus and Mhalunge. The petition challenged the practice of allowing new constructions based on builders’ affidavits claiming they would arrange water supply independently, arguing that it amounted to the civic body abdicating its core responsibility.
Alongside legal efforts, Balwadkar led public protests. In December 2022, residents gathered at Chandni Chowk to highlight their daily dependence on water tankers across Baner, Pashan, and Sus–Mahalunge. He openly criticised administrative lapses, stating that poor planning and negligence had made regular water supply a daily struggle for citizens.
From Protest to Project Monitoring (2023–Present)
In recent years, the focus has shifted towards implementation and oversight. In August 2023, even after completing his corporator tenure, Balwadkar inspected work on a key water pipeline project in Sus–Mahalunge under the Saman Paani Puravtha Yojana.
The project includes two pipelines spanning a total of 1.8 kilometres, a 20-inch transmission line and a 6-inch distribution line, aimed at ensuring uninterrupted supply to the newly merged villages. Balwadkar also facilitated meetings where PMC officials and contractors briefed residents on progress, stressing transparency and accountability.
In parallel, his broader civic initiatives include a water conservation project in Balewadi on Survey No. 37/1, covering over 863 square metres, for which a work order has already been issued. This reflects an attempt to balance immediate supply needs with long-term sustainability.
Impact and Current Status
While complete water security is yet to be officially declared, the decade-long effort has resulted in measurable progress. Key outcomes include setting a legal precedent against construction without assured water supply, challenging flawed approval systems, keeping sustained pressure on civic authorities, and ensuring that critical pipeline infrastructure is finally taking shape.
Today, Baner–Balewadi and surrounding areas stand closer to resolution than they did a decade ago. The ongoing projects are widely seen as the result of persistent legal action, political follow-up, and community engagement led by Amol Balwadkar, underscoring how long-term civic issues often demand consistent pressure across multiple fronts.
