Pune: Housing societies and residents are stepping up efforts to conserve water and minimise wastage amid water cuts starting on Oct 15 in the city.Several societies are urging residents to limit water use for washing vehicles, cleaning balconies and other non-essential activities. Some are also exploring measures such as reusing treated wastewater for gardening and flushing, installing rainwater harvesting systems and checking pipelines for leakages.“We are becoming more conscious of our daily consumption and reusing water from domestic activities wherever possible,” said Vaishali Deshpande, a resident of Kothrud.“We have now started washing clothes on alternate days. We are also being mindful about reusing clothes and limiting the number of clothes we put in the wash each day,” said Nina Kanwal, a resident of Fatimanagar.Society management committees are also appealing to residents to avoid unnecessary water use.“We have asked residents to avoid washing sit-outs with running water, check for leakages in taps and flushes and get them repaired and reduce water use in gardens,” said Sunil Aiyer, one of the directors of the Mohammadwadi Undri Residents Welfare Development Foundation (MURWDF).Dattatraya Deshmukh, chairperson of the Pimpri Chinchwad Housing Society Federation, has sent out a water conservation notice to housing societies in the area.The notice states: “Please avoid washing cars daily with a hosepipe and refrain from washing parking areas, building lobbies, terraces and roads with fresh water every day. Check and repair leaking taps and ensure that overhead tanks do not overflow.”Sameer Rupade, director of the Pune Housing Federation, said residents of all housing societies should install aerators on taps in their homes.“These can help reduce water consumption by more than 70%, slow the depletion of overhead tanks and maintain water pressure while using less water. Typically, a tap releases 10-12 litres of water per minute. Installing an aerator can reduce consumption to approximately three litres per minute,” Rupade said.Suhas Patwardhan, chairperson of the Pune District Co-operative Housing Societies Federation, advised residents to conserve water.“People are also making use of whatever reserves they have in their borewells,” he said.
