Pune: PCMC Imposes Additional 15% Water Cut as Pawana Dam Storage Drops to 19%
Pune, June 20, 2026: Pimpri Chinchwad residents will face a further reduction in water supply duration from Saturday as the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has implemented an additional 15% water cut following directions from the irrigation department amid declining reservoir levels and delayed monsoon rains.
The city already receives water on alternate days, and civic officials said the latest cut is likely to shorten supply hours in several localities. The impact may vary depending on topography and distribution conditions, with most areas currently receiving water for three to four hours on alternate days.
Municipal Commissioner Vijay Suryawanshi said the decision was taken to ensure planned management of available water resources and appealed to citizens to conserve water by avoiding non-essential use of potable water.
As part of the restrictions, PCMC has banned the use of drinking water for filling or maintaining swimming pools and will not issue new water connections during the restriction period. The civic body has also prohibited the supply of potable water to commercial establishments, construction sites and other non-domestic consumers. Housing societies have been asked to use treated recycled water from sewage treatment plants (STPs) for gardens and landscaping.
According to civic officials, Pawana dam, the city’s primary water source, currently holds only 19% live storage, nearly 5% lower than the corresponding period last year. Andra dam has around 29% storage. Officials cited the delayed monsoon, the possibility of El Niño conditions and falling reservoir levels as reasons for the additional cut.
PCMC has formed special monitoring teams to check water consumption and warned that misuse of potable water for non-essential purposes could attract penal action.
The city currently receives around 650 million litres per day (MLD) against a requirement of over 750 MLD. While the state government has approved an additional allocation of 167 MLD from Bhama Askhed dam, the pipeline project to bring the water is expected to be completed only next year.
