Pune mayor asks PMC for 24-hour water helplines in all 15 ward offices and quick leak repairs

Amid growing concern over Pune's water reserves, Mayor Manjusha Nagpure has asked the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) to strengthen its monitoring and action system across the city. She has suggested that all 15 ward offices have a separate control room for water shortage, staffed round the clock, with quick action on complaints.

On Thursday, Mayor Nagpure wrote to Municipal Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram, asking for measures to stop wastage of water, deal with illegal connections and improve the distribution network. She has also sought, within three days, a report on the steps the administration has taken.

The proposal puts ward offices at the centre of the city's water management. Staff from the water supply, health and disaster management departments could work in shifts, so that local complaints and supply problems can be monitored even after regular office hours.

Residents will also get a helpline and a WhatsApp facility for their ward, on which they can report problems such as interrupted supply, pipeline leaks and the need for a water tanker. The civic administration has been asked to attend to complaints within 24 hours.

Nagpure has asked for a distribution plan that can be adjusted to the water available in the dams. Schedules should account for differences across the supply network, so that areas at the tail end do not get less water while other neighbourhoods continue to receive regular supply.

Preventing losses within the distribution system is also a major priority. The mayor has proposed teams that can reach the spot when large pipelines, neighbourhood connections and storage tanks develop faults. Their job would be to identify leaks and get them repaired without delay.

PMC has also been asked to crack down on the use of treated drinking water for tasks that do not need potable water. These include washing vehicles, construction work, filling swimming pools, maintaining private gardens and lawns, and cleaning roads.

The proposed restrictions could carry fines or disconnection of supply for violations. Action against illegal water connections and avoidable wastage is also part of the mayor's directions.