Pune Municipal Corporation will shut the city’s water supply every Thursday from October 15, 2026, as it responds to depleted reserves in the Khadakwasla dam system and a state directive to reduce water consumption by at least 10 per cent. The decision is intended to conserve available water and extend supplies for drinking purposes through August 31, 2027.
The weekly shutdown will cover the entire Pune city area. According to the report, the water supply will remain closed on Thursdays, while the municipal administration will use the day for pipeline repairs, leak detection and maintenance at water treatment plants.
The Khadakwasla dam chain had 26.22 thousand million cubic feet (TMC) of water remaining as of October 12, the report said. This is lower than the level recorded during the comparable period in previous years. The shortfall has been linked to below-average rainfall in the catchment areas supplying Pune and to an El Nino-affected monsoon pattern.
The Maharashtra Water Resources Department issued an order on October 1 directing local self-government bodies to reduce water use by at least 10 per cent from October 16. The order also instructed authorities to plan supplies so that residents continue to receive adequate drinking water until August 31, 2027. The PMC’s weekly shutdown has been announced against this broader water-management directive.
The restrictions will also affect the use of potable water for construction. The PMC has directed that drinking water must not be used for construction activity and that developers and contractors should use treated sewage or borewell water instead. Housing societies with sewage treatment plants have been asked to keep them operational and reuse treated water for gardening and toilet flushing.
Residents, housing societies and commercial establishments have been advised to check and repair leaking taps, flush tanks, pipelines and water connections. Tank overflows should be prevented, including through the use of automatic float valves where necessary. The civic instructions also call for reduced water use during bathing, washing clothes and utensils, and for the reuse of relatively clean household water for gardening and cleaning.
Private and public car-washing centres have been asked to stop operations involving potable water. Residents have also been told not to use municipal or borewell water to wash vehicles, clean courtyards or wash footpaths. The use of drinking water in private and public swimming pools, as well as for municipal gardens, has also been prohibited under the conservation measures.
Hotels, restaurants, hostels and other establishments have been asked to cooperate with the restrictions. The PMC has further urged citizens to report burst pipelines and leaks in public places. Complaints involving unauthorised water connections may lead to legal action and criminal cases against those responsible.
The weekly closure therefore combines demand reduction with maintenance work on the city’s distribution system. The immediate schedule begins on October 15, while the state’s water-planning directive sets August 31, 2027, as the period until which drinking-water supplies are to be managed.
