Pune News : PMC urges citizens to use water judiciously this ‘Holi’
Pune: As the threat of water scarcity is looming in the city due to the untimely advent of summer, several residential societies across the city and the Pune Municipal Corporation Water Department have urged Punekars to practice restraint and use water judiciously this Holi. Even several societies are urging people to play holi with dry colours to save wastage of water.
Drawing attention towards the need to conserve water, several residential societies across Pune have urged its citizens to limit the usage of water, discard the use of water balloons during the festival and to play only with natural and organic colours as they wash off easily and do not need too much water.
“Every year, we plead our residents to refrain from playing with water in the society during Holi and use only natural colours,” said Luvae Baldi, a resident of Yashada Apartments in Viman Nagar.
A Water activist Khozi Merchant, a resident of Elysia Society in Kharadi who has been creating awareness of water conservation through workshops said, “We visit several societies every year to make residents understand the implications of water wastage during festivities. All citizens must take collective and joint efforts to conserve water.”
Due to the temperature, which has been hovering between 34 C and 36 C since mid-Feb and reduction in ground water level, many societies in NIBM, Wanowrie, Mohammadwadi and Undri areas have also been facing water supply issues from private suppliers.
“Our society has issued a notice asking society members to reduce water wastage during the celebrations and stick to rules and avoid rain dance parties,” said a resident of Gulmohar Society in Wanowrie.
Just like every year, the PMC also will be releasing its standard amount of 1,350 million litres of water during the festive season and no extra amount of water will be allotted to resorts or hotels for private parties.
“We will not release any extra amount of water to anyone on Holi but we are advising citizens to be judicious and not waste water as some parts of the state are already facing water problems. Everyone should use water carefully,” said Aniruddha Pawaskar, head of the PMC’s water supply department.
