Pune: As Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) prepares to impose a citywide once-a-week water shutdown from Thursday to tackle shortage, residents have raised a pressing question: Will supply actually return to normal after the closure?




For many residents, the greater concern isn’t the 24-hour shutdown but the erratic and low-pressure supply that follows, stretching a daylong cut into at least a three-day ordeal. The situation is expected to worsen in areas already struggling with poor supply.




Hadapsar resident Ramesh Tupe said the area and nearby localities already faced water shortages, and weekly shutdowns would worsen the situation. “PMC is not distributing water evenly to all the areas, leaving many parts in crisis even as core-city localities receive sufficient supply,” he said.




The residents said despite repeated assurances from PMC, restoring the water supply to full capacity after scheduled cuts remained a persistent challenge. Shashikant Kulkarni, a Bavdhan resident, said, “PMC has decided to implement water cuts, citing a possible crisis during summer. While it is a precautionary step, the administration should ensure an adequate water supply in all the areas.”




Former corporator Mahendra Pathare of the Nagar Road area said the worst impact was on neighbourhoods at the tail end of the distribution network . “Some pockets continue to get low-pressure water for nearly two days after the shutdown. People will face severe hardship if this becomes a weekly routine. Equitable water-supply works are still incomplete in several areas, and these delays are disrupting the entire distribution system,” he said.




Residents from Shivajinagar, Deccan Gymkhana, Karve Road and the Peth areas said water supply had become increasingly unpredictable. Shivajinagar resident Vijay Thorat said his locality rarely faced water shortages in the past, but the situation had deteriorated significantly over the last few years. “Water supply has become extremely erratic. Daylong cuts are becoming more frequent, yet there is no visible improvement. Illegal connections, unauthorised tapping of main pipelines and aging distribution infrastructure may be affecting the overall supply. PMC must present ward-wise water management plans. Else, citizens will continue to grapple with shortages throughout the year,” he said.




While frustration among residents grows, PMC officials insisted they were working to minimise disruptions. Nandkishor Jagtap , head of PMC water supply department, said several corrective measures had been undertaken over the past year to improve distribution efficiency. “Boosters have been installed in multiple areas and air blockages in pipelines are being removed to maintain a smooth water flow. We are carrying out a detailed review before implementing the weekly water closure,” Jagtap said.




Avinash Pawar, a Kothrud resident, questioned the need for supply cuts. “Over 19 TMC of water was released into Mutha river due to the lack of a proper plan to store the additional water. The administration should fix lapses in the water distribution network and restore supply across all areas every Friday morning.”