Pune: A citizens’ group on Wednesday urged Pune Municipal Corporation to reconsider its plan to impose precautionary alternate-day water supply, proposing once-a-week closure from June 15 to July 15 to ease the burden on residents.In a letter addressed to civic chief Naval Kishore Ram, head of Sajag Nagrik Manch Vivek Velankar suggested that any decision on stricter water cuts could be taken after July 15 based on rainfall and dam stock. He said the current water stock in the dams stood at 5 TMC, which was sufficient to meet the city’s needs till Aug-end. Therefore, he argued, there was no urgent need to introduce alternate-day water supply from next week.PMC, however, has already begun preparations for water cuts due to concerns over reduced rainfall this year, possibly linked to the El Nino effect. Velankar said, “India Meteorological Department has forecast 90% of normal rainfall during the monsoon. The dams supplying water to the city could reach full capacity even if they receive just 75% of the expected rainfall. Implementing a weekly water closure would help ensure water supply till the first week of Sept.”He also warned that alternate-day water supply could lead to exploitation by private water tanker operators, resulting in overcharging. With residents already facing water shortages, such a move would exacerbate their difficulties, Velankar added.
