Instructions Issued to Create Widespread Public Awareness About Water Use
Pune, October 2026: All public representatives from urban and rural areas, municipal corporations and the Water Resources Department must work in coordination to ensure proper planning of water for drinking and agriculture, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Guardian Minister of Pune district Sunetra Ajit Pawar said on Thursday.
Emphasising the need for the judicious use of available water to tackle the serious possibility of water scarcity in the future, she said the state government had already decided to reserve 10 per cent of the water allocated for drinking purposes as a buffer.
She was speaking at a meeting of the Canal Advisory Committee held at the Divisional Commissioner’s Office. Water Resources Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, Agriculture Minister Dattatray Bharne, MPs Supriya Sule and Shrirang Barne, MLAs Uma Khapre, Amit Gorkhe, Vijay Shivtare, Bhimrao Tapkir, Sunil Shelke, Dnyaneshwar Katke, Hemant Rasane, Siddharth Shirole, Babaji Kale, Shankar Jagtap, Rahul Kul and Shankar Mandekar, along with other local public representatives, attended the meeting.
Stating that the issue was being reviewed in detail at every state Cabinet meeting, Deputy Chief Minister Pawar said efforts were underway to plan the available water resources in accordance with the Water Resources Department’s recommendations and ensure effective implementation.
She noted that the possible impact of El Niño had been under discussion for the past six months and stressed the need to take water management seriously.
Pune’s Water Supply and Conservation Measures
Discussing Pune city’s water supply, Pawar directed the Pune Municipal Corporation to ensure strict and efficient use of available water. Instructions were also issued to plan for making 13 TMC (thousand million cubic feet) of water available to the civic body.
Considering the water storage in the Khadakwasla dam system, the municipal corporation and the Water Resources Department were directed to implement water management plans transparently.
She stressed the need to create public awareness about water conservation, restrictions on water supply and activities that consume excessive quantities of water. For this purpose, she instructed the municipal corporation to establish separate control rooms in each of its zonal offices.
The Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation was also directed to take the necessary precautions and ensure proper water management.
Equitable Water Allocation for Agriculture and Drinking Needs
Pawar said Kharif crop production had declined during the current monsoon season, making proper water planning for the upcoming Rabi season equally important.
She called for equitable distribution of available water, keeping in mind the agricultural requirements of rural areas and the drinking water needs of urban residents. She urged people to use water judiciously for both drinking and farming.
Follow-Up on Long-Term Water Supply Plans
The Deputy Chief Minister said meetings chaired by the Chief Minister were being held to follow up on urban water supply schemes and determine overall water-use quotas.
She directed officials to implement the water rotation schedule finalised after discussions at the meeting. The situation would be reviewed again in December or January.
Pawar emphasised that the state government was committed to making efforts to meet everyone's water requirements.
Ensure Fair Water Distribution Without Discrimination: Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil
Water Resources Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil directed officials to work systematically to ensure that no section of society suffered injustice in the distribution of water.
He instructed the concerned authorities to prepare appropriate water distribution plans and take the necessary measures to ensure that water reached the last beneficiary.
He also stressed prioritising the repair of check dams, water reuse, proper planning of available water resources and ensuring equal opportunities for all beneficiaries to access water.
MLAs and public representatives attending the meeting raised several important issues concerning drinking water and agricultural water management. The participants were thanked for their suggestions.
Dr Rajesh Deshmukh, Secretary in the Deputy Chief Minister’s Office; Pune Municipal Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram; Additional Commissioner Pavneet Kaur; District Collector Jitendra Dudi; Zilla Parishad Chief Executive Officer Gajanan Patil; and officials from the Zilla Parishad, Agriculture Department and Irrigation Department were also present at the meeting.
