Pune: A week into the rollout of the alternate-day water supply plan, frustration is mounting across the city. At Monday’s PMC general body meeting, over 35 corporators from across parties flagged widespread disruptions, saying residents have been calling as early as 4am and complaining late into the night — blaming a system they called poorly executed.The corporators said while the plan might have looked viable on paper, its implementation had failed on the ground. They demanded urgent fixes, including ward-wise helplines, increased tanker-filling capacity and dedicated tanker points in every ward.Opening a special discussion on the water crisis, BJP corporator Punit Joshi from Kothrud delivered a sharp critique, saying the cracks were visible at the ward level. “Overhead storage tanks are not filling to capacity. Existing tanker feeding points are woefully inadequate. In my ward, a tanker point can handle only eight tankers. How can such limited capacity meet rising demand?” he asked.Congress corporator Datta Bahirat from Gokhalenagar blamed flawed zoning in the alternate-day system. “The planning has lapses, and people are bearing the brunt,” he said. Another BJP corporator, Puja Jagde, highlighted the alarming situation along Apte Road, where some localities went without water for three straight days, with residents complaining of a mere trickle due to low pressure.Sinhagad Road corporator Haridas Charvad demanded the immediate rollout of local helplines to streamline tanker supply, while elected representatives Dilip Wede Patil and Swapnil Dudhane accused the administration of failing to stick to its own zone-wise schedule.Faced with mounting criticism, the administration sought to reassure the House. Officials announced that three new tanker filling points in Bavdhan, Mohammadwadi and Dhayari would soon become operational to ease the burden on existing infrastructure.Nandkishor Jagtap, head of the PMC water supply department, acknowledged the issues, promising swift improvements. “Supply schedules are being fine-tuned, and steps are being taken to address low-pressure complaints. Additional tankers are being deployed, especially in merged areas. We are in talks with contractors to augment services,” he said.In Wagholi, one of the worst-hit areas, the administration is now planning a 1km pipeline to channel water from the Cantonment water works, offering a glimmer of hope to residents grappling with acute shortages.Relief, however, appears distant. Leader of the House Ganesh Bidkar made it clear that the water cuts would remain in place for now. “The decision was taken when dam storage dropped to 5 TMC, and it is unlikely to be reversed till levels rise to at least 10-12 TMC,” he said, urging the administration to prioritise supply in severely affected areas, especially the old Peth zones and newly merged pockets.
