EVERY DROP COUNTS
Pune : BJP leaders in the PMC have announced plans to approach chief minister Devendra Fadnavis to secure adequate water for the city until the next monsoon, a day after the civic administration raised doubts over the 13 TMC water quota allocated to the corporation. The committee has also decided to take extensive steps to mark the centenary of the historic Poona Pact agreement, which was signed at Yerawada Jail in 1932.
Elaborating on the various proposals approved during the standing committee meeting, chairperson Shrinath Bhimale said the appointment of a consultant for Parvati to Peshwe Park ropeway project has been cleared. Additionally, the standing committee approved an allocation of Rs60 lakh to implement heritage conservation efforts at the historic Nana Wada. The committee also granted a nine-month extension to road-sweeping contractors. The civic administration will conduct monthly monitoring of the sweeping operations, and contractors will face termination if there are repeated complaints, Bhimale added.
Noting that 23 TMC of water is currently available in the dams, activists urged the department to make the exact quotas reserved for urban and rural areas public.
“All leaders are of the opinion that city residents must receive adequate water supply until the next monsoon,” Bhimale said. Meanwhile, city-based activists have demanded that the irrigation department disclose the details of its water management plan until the next monsoon. Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) standing committee chairperson Shrinath Bhimale said on Saturday local leaders will meet the chief minister next week in Mumbai to discuss the city’s water allotment for the remainder of the year.