The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has been slammed by the State Water Resources Minister, Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, on Saturday and asked the PMC to justify its demand for additional water. A meeting was held in this regard at YASHADA on Saturday with irrigation department officials in the city, discussing various issues regarding the water supply in the city.

The irrigation department has raised concerns after it was found that the city is drawing water far beyond its allocated quota, leading to potential consequences for the shortage of water.

PMC has been granted a 14 TMC (thousand million cubic feet) water quota by the state’s Water Resources Department. However, the PMC has been drawing 21 TMC of water, surpassing the authorized limit. The irregularities prompted the state’s Water Resources Minister to issue an order to the department to serve a notice.

Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil addressed the matter during a press conference held recently, where he also provided insights into the ongoing state-level workshop on the Krishna and Godavari river-linking projects. The workshop is part of a larger initiative to address water distribution issues in Maharashtra. Minister Vikhe Patil explained that the Water Resources Department had received numerous complaints about the PMC’s handling of water usage, which led to the issuance of a notice.

He pointed out that, “The PMC should take the initiative to build its own dams and secure sustainable water sources for the city. This will not only ensure the city’s future water requirements but also reduce dependency on external sources.”