Pune’s water cut could rise from the current 10% to 20% after District Collector Jitendra Dudi instructed local bodies to plan for deeper reductions as reservoir storage declines. The Pune Municipal Corporation will decide the extent of any additional cut within a week after completing detailed water-supply planning, Municipal Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram said.
The civic body has already begun implementing a 10% reduction in supply under state government instructions. As part of the current schedule, water supply across Pune is being shut every Thursday. The arrangement began after authorities directed that the available reservoir water be conserved for drinking purposes amid expectations of lower rainfall in the coming period.
The proposed 20% reduction was discussed at a meeting chaired by Dudi. The district administration asked all local self-government bodies to plan for a 20% cut so that the available water in the reservoirs could last longer. The municipal corporation is responsible for deciding how the instruction will be implemented within Pune, including the extent and timing of any additional reduction.
Ram said the civic administration would complete micro-planning over the next eight days before taking a decision on increasing the existing cut. The planning will examine the city’s water requirements and distribution arrangements, rather than applying an immediate citywide increase without further assessment.
The municipal commissioner said the corporation would also focus on reducing water losses and controlling illegal connections. The municipal administration estimates that around 30% to 40% of the city’s water is lost through leakage. Bringing these losses under control, along with completing the remaining work under the equal water-supply scheme, will form part of the civic body’s efforts to avoid a sharper cut for residents.
The proposed increase comes against a history of periodic restrictions in Pune. The municipal corporation supplied water on alternate days during 2014-15. In 2018-19, the city experienced a weekly water-supply shutdown. More recently, the corporation introduced a one-day-a-week cut from 5 May 2026.
The current schedule means residents are already adjusting to a fixed weekly interruption, while the proposed 20% reduction could require further changes to supply timings or distribution. The municipal corporation has not yet announced the precise pattern, duration or neighbourhood-wise impact of any additional cut.
The civic body is expected to complete its micro-planning exercise within a week and then decide how much the existing 10% reduction should be increased. Until that decision is announced, the Thursday shutdown and the current 10% water cut remain in force.
