Water Quota Reduced to 12.82 TMC,Pune Municipal Corporation Faces Challenge
Pune : Major drop in water storage in Khadakwasla dam
Pune – Despite the city’s growing area and population, the Municipal Corporation’s request for an annual water quota of 20.90 TMC (Thousand Million Cubic Feet) from the Irrigation Department has been met with a surprising allocation of only 12.82 TMC for the 2023-24 period, sourced from the Khadakwasla and Bhama Askhed dam projects.
The Irrigation Department has also issued strict penalties, nearly three times the regular charges, for exceeding this reduced water allocation.
In compliance with the directives of the State Water Resources Regulatory Authority, the Pune Municipal Corporation is obligated to submit its water budget to the Irrigation Department by the end of July each year. Last year, for the 2022-23 period, the Municipal Corporation had sought 20.34 TMC of water but was granted only 12.41 TMC in water quota. Subsequently, the Municipal Corporation presented its budget for the year 2023-24.
This year, the Municipal Corporation had factored in a 2 percent population increase in the 34 villages under its jurisdiction. In total, the water supply is expected to cater to a population of 7.2 million, including people who visit Pune for work, business, and education. Additionally, accounting for a 35 percent water leakage rate, the corporation had requested an allocation of 20.90 TMC.
Surprisingly, the Irrigation Department has sanctioned only 12.82 TMC for the period spanning July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024, rejecting the municipal water usage calculations.
Specifically, the Irrigation Department declined the Municipal Corporation’s request for a 2.36 TMC water allocation for the 34 included villages and 16 institutions, based on an estimated population of 10 lakh. Instead, the department asserted its responsibility for supplying water to these areas.
The Municipal Corporation had also reported a 35 percent water leakage rate, which amounts to 7.13 TMC. However, the Irrigation Department contested this figure, reducing the estimated leakage to only 13 percent, equivalent to 1.47 TMC. As a result, the Municipal Corporation’s water quota falls significantly short of the original demand.
Comparatively, the water quota granted this year, 12.82 TMC, is only 0.41 TMC more than last year’s allocation of 12.41 TMC, despite the Corporation’s request for 20.90 TMC.
This poses a substantial challenge for the Municipal Corporation to manage and distribute water resources effectively in the coming year.
