Maharashtra Govt expresses willingness to resume Pawana Pipeline Project; Estimated cost up to 900-1000 crores

PUNE: The Maharashtra Government has signaled its intention to revive the long-dormant Pawana Pipeline Project, which had been in hiatus since 2011. According to insights provided by the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC), the estimated cost of the project has surged significantly over the past twelve years.

Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Ajit Pawar, hinted at the impending implementation of the project during an announcement on Thursday. He also highlighted the pressing issue of insufficient water supply in the rapidly expanding industrial city. With the city’s population continuing to swell, the exploration of novel water sources has become imperative. One of these approaches involves tapping into Tata Dam for drinking water and providing treated sewage water to the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) in exchange for their allocation of drinking water.

In a conversation with Pune Pulse, Shrikant Savane, PCMC’s Joint City Engineer, elaborated on the Pawana pipeline project’s details. The initiative entails the construction of a direct 36 km enclosed pipeline from Pavana Dam in Maval taluka to the town of Ravet in Pimpri Chinchwad.

Savane emphasized the necessity for the state government to lift the previously imposed halt on the project. Notably, the initial projected cost of the project in 2008 stood at approximately Rs 400 crore. However, the cumulative cost of the project has now surged to an estimated range of Rs 900–1,000 crore.