Pune’s water supply planning has come under pressure as the Pune Municipal Corporation asks the Water Resources Department to reserve water for the city’s needs, citing population growth, urban expansion and uncertainty over rainfall. The civic body has sought an allocation from reservoirs for 2026-27, when it estimates that Pune will require 21.34 TMC of water.
The request was made through a letter sent by the municipal corporation to the Water Resources Department. In it, the PMC said the available reservoir storage and uncertain rainfall needed to be considered while reserving water for Pune, according to a report by Loksatta – Pune.
The letter comes amid discussion at the state level about a possible 10% reduction in water supply for urban areas. That discussion has led to speculation about whether Pune would also face cuts. However, the city has not yet implemented any reduction, and no official order directing a cut has been received, Pune water-supply department chief Nandkumar Jagtap said, according to the report.
The immediate administrative position is therefore different from the speculation surrounding a possible reduction. Pune’s civic administration is seeking clarity and an assured allocation for the coming year, while the state’s water-related departments have not issued an order imposing cuts in the city.
The PMC has already submitted its water budget. The Water Resources Department’s water budget for the year, however, has not yet been received by the municipal corporation. That gap leaves the city’s requested allocation and the department’s annual water planning at different stages of the administrative process.
The proposed requirement of 21.34 TMC is linked by the PMC to Pune’s growing population and expanding urban area. The corporation’s request also reflects the role of rainfall uncertainty in reservoir planning: the amount available for urban supply depends not only on present storage but also on how water resources are managed for the year ahead.
For residents, the current confirmed position is that no water cut has been applied in Pune. Any future decision on supply restrictions would depend on an official government order, while the municipal corporation’s request is focused on reserving sufficient water in the dams for the city’s 2026-27 requirement.
The next administrative step is the Water Resources Department’s response to the PMC’s request and the release of its water budget to the municipal corporation. Until an official order is issued, Pune’s water-supply department has said that no city-wide cut is in force.