Pune: Vimannagar residents have raised concerns over worsening water shortage in the area despite good rainfall in the city and surrounding catchment areas, with several societies reporting low-pressure or no supply for days on end. Residents have also approached senior water department officials and said they are planning a larger protest if the issue is not resolved.The shortage has intensified over the past year, residents said, with some societies increasingly dependent on tankers. Many claimed that while some societies receive adequate water, others face a trickle in their taps, or no flow at all. “Why after all this rains do we have to depend on water tankers? We never had such a shortage before even in summer,” one resident said, choosing anonymity.Vimannagar resident Anita Hanumante said residents were particularly worried about disparity in water supply. “Different societies get different pressure supply or none at all. We are not asking for favours or special treatment from Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), only fair and equitable distribution of water and a clear explanation of why such disparity exists. We will have to stage a protest if the issue is not resolved,” she said.Nilesh Sonagra from Bella Vista cooperative housing society said, “Supply from the Vishrantwadi side was being diverted and we have raised concerns over the distribution of water between old and newly constructed tanks. We need clarity from PMC on whether any diversion or distribution-related issue is affecting us.”Concerns have further been raised over alleged alterations in deployment of civic water department staff. Some residents claimed that the water problem worsened after a change in the lineman’s posting.Sachin Adkar, a resident of Oakwoods Apartments cooperative housing society, said, “We have faced a lot of water supply issues in the last one year. When the waterman was changed, the situation improved and we needed only a few tankers. However, now he has been replaced by the earlier waterman again. Now, even though all the dams are full, we need to order 8-10 tankers daily.”Another resident of Oakwoods, Tanmay Deshpande, said, “Water has become our biggest crisis. We never get continuous, reliable water supply. Just when things seem to get better, some change in timing, staff, or pressure pulls us back to square one. No one gives us a clear answer. Meanwhile, most of our society maintenance money is funnelled into hiring water tankers. We have nothing left for repairs or other basic needs.”At the end of their patience, residents planned to meet senior water department officials at the Bund Garden Road office on Tuesday. A meeting was subsequently held between Vimannagar Vikas Samiti (VNVS) founders and the senior engineer concerned. Following this, residents said the officials assured them that they would personally look into the supply issue for the next few days. Officials also discussed issues arising from changes in the lineman’s posting and progress of new water lines for OXY, Neon and Venkateshwara Landmark societies. They have also sought details of societies facing shortages, including their current water supply timings, as well as the number of tankers purchased or received by each society.Virendra Kelkar, superintendent engineer of the PMC water supply department, said, “The complaints came to us on Tuesday and, accordingly, we will make every effort to resolve all these problems in the next five to six days. If there is a disruption in the MSEDCL supply or any other issue, it affects water supply. This has been happening for the last two or three days. Even if there is a disruption of 15 minutes, it affects supply for two-three hours. If it is a waterman-related issue, we will resolve it from our side.”PMC commissioner Naval Kishore Ram told TOI, “I have asked chief engineers to look into the issue and resolve it. I will also get a study done to understand the water issues in the area and take steps to address them.” He added that he would also be visiting areas such as Vishrantwadi, Shastrinagar and Airport Road on Thursday and would take some time to interact with residents in Vimannagar to understand the water issues firsthand.
