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As Ward 41 residents flag water woes, candidates promise permanent fix for Mohammadwadi–Undri
Despite falling under the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), most housing societies in Mohammadwadi and Undri still lack assured piped water supply and rely heavily on private tankers
Residents of Mohammadwadi and Undri in Ward No 41 once again flagged their chronic dependence on private water tankers as the biggest civic concern during an interaction with candidates contesting the upcoming civic elections. The meeting, organised by local residents’ groups, drew a large turnout, underlining the severity of the water crisis that has plagued these fast-growing suburbs for over a decade. Shiv Sena city unit chief and party’s candidate from the area Pramod alias Nana Bhangire said the long-delayed solution is nearing completion. “The water tank and pumping infrastructure near the Katraj bypass are in the final stage and should be ready in about two-and-a-half months. Once the pipelines are commissioned, Mohammadwadi and Undri will get municipal water and tanker dependency will end,” he said.
Despite falling under the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), most housing societies in Mohammadwadi and Undri still lack assured piped water supply and rely heavily on private tankers. Residents said tanker supply is irregular, unreliable and expensive, especially during summer when demand peaks. Several societies spend lakhs of rupees every month just to meet basic water needs.
Praveen Kumar Anand, a resident of Ganga Kingston Society in Mohammadwadi, said the situation has become unsustainable. “Even today, residents have to plan their daily lives around tanker timings. We were told that the water supply hub coming up near the Katraj bypass will finally provide round-the-clock municipal water. There is hope, but we want time-bound implementation,” he said.
Another resident, Bhupesh Sharma, highlighted the financial burden on housing societies. “This is a decades-old problem. Societies in Mohammadwadi and Undri are spending crores every year on tanker water. Once the PMC water supply line from Katraj becomes operational, the area will get adequate water not only for daily use but also for maintaining green spaces. It will be a big relief for thousands of families,” he said.
Candidates attending the interaction acknowledged that tanker dependence has become a symbol of administrative neglect. They promised to fast-track permanent PMC water connections, lay new pipelines from nearby reservoirs, strengthen pumping stations and increase municipal tanker supply until the new system is fully functional. They also assured action against illegal connections that divert water.
