The Pune Municipal Corporation has directed developers across the city to stop using potable water for construction and switch to treated water, warning that defaulters will face penal action as concerns grow over the availability of water in dams supplying civic areas.
Nandkishor Jagtap, head of the PMC water department, said instructions had been issued to developers and that the civic administration would act against those who failed to comply. The directive comes amid discussions about possible water cuts, with officials and citizens pointing to poor reservoir stocks and lower rainfall.
Construction sites can use treated sewage treatment plant water, along with water from private wells, borewells and tankers, according to PMC officials. The civic administration has also made treated STP water available as an alternative for construction-related work, and officials said several developers were already using it.
The directive places greater emphasis on monitoring by PMC’s engineering staff. During the 2024–25 financial year, the civic body issued showcause notices to 22 junior engineers after they failed to provide required data on whether real estate developers were using potable water at construction sites. PMC officials said junior engineers are expected to track usage and submit information to the water department.
Officials also rely on complaints from citizens to identify possible violations, but said the mechanism has limited effectiveness because few complaints are received. The latest instructions therefore require stronger administrative monitoring as construction activity continues across Pune.
Representatives of the construction sector said awareness about treated water was already being created among developers and workers. Nitin Deshpande, president of the Marathi Bandhkam Vyavsayik Sanghatana, said the organisation was encouraging members to use treated water wherever possible and conserve potable water.
The water directive arrives as Pune prepares for a substantial construction pipeline. For 2026–27, the PMC standing committee has set an expanded target of Rs3,199 crore from the civic building permission department. Officials estimate that Rs600–700 crore of this amount could come from development premiums and permissions in 23 newly merged villages, along with revenue-sharing arrangements involving the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority.
The scale of expected building permissions makes enforcement significant for the city’s water administration. PMC officials have not stated how many construction sites will be inspected under the latest directive or specified the penalty applicable to each category of violation. The civic administration’s stated next step is to monitor water use at sites and initiate action against developers found using potable water.
