Pune eases weekly Thursday water cut for Diwali, says Standing Committee chairman

The weekly water cut observed every Thursday in Pune city has been relaxed for the time being in view of the Diwali festival. Standing Committee chairman Shrinath Bhimale gave the information.

Corporator Suhas Vijay Tingre had made the demand to Mayor Manjusha Nagpure. He had asked that the cut be eased so that people do not face a water problem during the festival days.

During Diwali, homes are cleaned and painted, and preparations for religious and cultural events are under way. All of this requires a lot of water. To spare people hardship, the water cut on one or two Thursdays has been halted for now.

Given the water available in Pune city, the municipal corporation had decided over the last three to four weeks to keep the supply shut every Thursday. Tingre made it clear that, considering the present situation, he understood the decision was justified. Several parts of the state face water scarcity, so water must be used sparingly.

Even so, Tingre said that during a major festival like Diwali, a shutdown of supply could hamper people's house cleaning and festival preparations. Bhimale then said the water cut had been relaxed for a few days.

The corporation had cited the condition of water stocks as the reason for keeping the cut in force. The relief has now been given in view of the needs of the festival.