With water scarcity likely to hit the city, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has decided to ban the use of drinking water for construction activities and is planning to issue stop-work orders to builders that flout the ban.
However, the corporation has promised to provide treated water from sewage plants for construction activities. “The civic administration will soon issue an order banning the use of potable water for construction activities in the city. This is being done to address the possible water scarcity situation in the city in the next few months,” said a civic officer.
The district water resource department has alerted the corporation that the water storage in the dams—Khadakwasla, Panshet, Varasgaon and Temghar—is depleting fast owing to the increased use and evaporation due to heat. The civic body has also prepared a plan for weekly water closure, but a decision has been delayed till the India Meteorological Department (IMD) announces a short-term monsoon forecast.
“It will be mandatory to use only water from sewage treatment plants for construction activities and the civic body has already begun that,” the officer said.
The civic administration will develop a mobile application for builders to seek water from sewage treatment plants, the civic officer said, adding that this would help the corporation keep track of the use of water by builders and also stop the misuse of drinking water.
The demand for water is increasing every day owing to the rise in heat and there is also water loss due to leakages and evaporation. “The corporation is also working to fix all the leakages in the water supply system,” he said.
The corporation had in the past banned the use of drinking water for construction activities, washing vehicles and gardening.