Civic officials from the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) have assured housing society representatives that they will visit affected residential complexes within a week to assess and address complaints of inadequate and low-pressure water supply.
The assurance came during a meeting between PCMC officials and representatives of housing societies on Wednesday following complaints from residents across several parts of Pimpri Chinchwad. Residents from Wakad, Pimple Saudagar, Tathawade, Thergaon and Punawale said they were facing insufficient municipal water supply and were having to depend on private water tankers.
The complaints have emerged despite the Pavana dam, one of the key water sources for the city, being completely full. Residents questioned why housing societies continue to experience water shortages during the monsoon season, when demand for private tankers generally falls.
36 Housing Societies Report Water Shortage
Sachin Londhe, president of the Pimpri Chinchwad Cooperative Housing Societies Federation, submitted a list of 36 housing societies facing water supply problems to the PCMC water supply department during the meeting.
According to Londhe, civic officials assured representatives that teams would visit the affected societies within a week to assess the situation and identify the reasons for the inadequate supply.
“If these visits do not take place, we have warned that we will launch a protest,” Londhe said.
Londhe also questioned the reasons for the shortage, saying the situation appeared unusual because the dams supplying water to the city were full. Residents have also raised concerns about having to bear the additional cost of private water tankers despite the availability of water in the city’s primary reservoir.
PCMC Cites Developer Water Supply Arrangements
Ajay Suryawanshi, joint city engineer at PCMC, said many of the housing societies that had complained were relatively new developments.
According to Suryawanshi, some of these projects had received developer no-objection certificates (NOCs) stating that the builders would arrange water supply until municipal water lines were extended to the respective premises.
He said PCMC officials had been instructed to visit the societies and examine whether the problems were related to localised supply issues.
“Water supply in other parts of the city is normal, so the problem appears restricted to specific areas,” Suryawanshi said, adding that the concerns raised by residents would be examined.
The civic administration’s explanation indicates that the availability of water at the source does not necessarily translate into uniform supply across all residential areas. Local distribution infrastructure, connections and arrangements made during the development of housing projects may also influence supply to individual societies.
Residents Dispute Claim That Shortage Is Limited to New Projects
Housing society representatives, however, disputed the suggestion that the water shortage is largely confined to newer residential developments.
Londhe said his own housing society on Datta Mandir Road in Wakad, which was constructed in 2011, is also experiencing an acute shortage of municipal water.
He said the society is currently ordering four private water tankers every day because the municipal supply is inadequate.
The situation has added to concerns among residents over the reliability of water supply in rapidly developing parts of Pimpri Chinchwad. Several of the affected locations have witnessed substantial residential development in recent years, increasing the demand on local water distribution networks.
Civic Inspection Expected Within a Week
The proposed visits by PCMC officials are expected to help identify whether the shortages are linked to municipal distribution infrastructure, localised supply constraints or arrangements between developers and housing societies.
The inspection will also provide an opportunity for the civic administration to assess the water requirements of the 36 societies listed by the federation and determine the steps required to improve supply.
For residents, the immediate concern remains dependence on private tankers despite the city’s water sources having adequate storage. The federation has indicated that further action, including a protest, could follow if the promised inspections do not take place within the stated timeframe.
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