The Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) has tightened water availability requirements for real estate developments, making an assured water supply a prerequisite for building permissions and occupancy certificates for group housing projects. The revised norms require developers to obtain certification from a competent public authority confirming that adequate water will be available to meet the proposed project’s requirements. The move aims to address water shortages in rapidly developing areas and prevent residents from becoming dependent on water tankers.
The new circular, issued by PMRDA commissioner Abhijit Chaudhari, replaces an earlier directive dated September 2, 2024, and has come into immediate effect. Under the revised rules, developers can no longer rely solely on a water availability affidavit. They must provide documentary confirmation from the relevant authority regarding the availability of water for their projects.
Depending on the proposed source of supply, the certificate may be issued by the zilla parishad, Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran, Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC), Pune Municipal Corporation, Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation, a nearby municipal council, a nagar panchayat or the water resources department. Where a project cannot obtain a certificate from these authorities but has a well or borewell on its premises, the developer must secure a water availability certificate from the Groundwater Surveys and Development Agency (GSDA).
PMRDA officials said planning department staff would recommend development approvals only after verifying that the proposed water supply was adequate under Regulation 12.5 of the Unified Development Control and Promotion Regulations, 2020, applicable to the PMRDA region. The revised process places greater emphasis on checking water availability before plans are sanctioned.
The stricter requirements extend beyond group housing projects to residential layouts and other categories of development. Applicants submitting proposals for new or revised temporary residential layouts, as well as final or revised final layouts, must provide an undertaking on water availability if a well, borewell or another water source is located on the premises.
Similar conditions apply to building permissions and occupancy certificates for new bungalows, farmhouses, forest houses, resorts, hotels, canteens, cafeterias and industrial or commercial establishments that depend on their own water sources. Developers and property owners will need to comply with the applicable documentation and verification requirements before their proposals can proceed.
The authority has also introduced water purification requirements for resorts, hotels, canteens, cafeterias and similar establishments. These facilities must install a reverse osmosis (RO) plant or another water purification system on their premises to use treated water, according to PMRDA officials.
The revised norms follow complaints from residents about developments receiving approvals despite inadequate water supply. In several areas, residents have reportedly been left dependent on water tankers to meet their daily requirements after moving into completed projects.
The changes are expected to affect project planning and approval procedures across the Pune Metropolitan Region. Developers will need to assess water sources and secure the required certificates at an appropriate stage of the approval process. Projects relying on independent groundwater sources may also require additional verification from the GSDA.
By making water availability a formal consideration in development approvals, PMRDA aims to improve planning oversight and address infrastructure gaps in growing residential and commercial areas. For developers, the revised rules underline the importance of establishing a reliable water supply alongside other essential infrastructure before seeking building and occupancy approvals. For homebuyers, the measures could improve scrutiny of water arrangements before residential projects are cleared for occupation.
