Correspondent, 16 October: A severe drought situation has emerged across Maharashtra due to inadequate rainfall, triggering a water cut crisis in major cities like Mumbai and Pune as reservoir levels decline. Following June and July, August saw a significant dry spell, while September also failed to record satisfactory precipitation. Consequently, municipal administrations are adopting water reduction policies to manage supplies until the next monsoon, urging citizens to prevent wastage and use water with utmost austerity.
In Mumbai, the absence of expected retreating monsoon showers has caused water scarcity, leading to the early implementation of water cuts. The changing weather and rising heat are causing distress among common citizens, senior citizens, and school students. Meanwhile, the lack of rain has severely impacted farmers, prompting the state government to declare a drought and initiate relief measures for the affected agriculturalists.
The Pune Municipal Corporation has decided to completely shut off the city’s water supply for one day each week. The entire city will face a water supply closure every Thursday, which is expected to cause delayed or low-pressure supply on Fridays and Saturdays. As of October 12, the Khadakwasla dam chain, which supplies water to Pune, held 26.22 TMC of water. Taking into account the rainfall deficit, increasing demand, and potential El Nino impacts, authorities have planned to conserve water until August 2027. Furthermore, following state government directives, water usage will be curtailed by at least 10 percent starting October 16. The civic body has also mandated the closure of vehicle washing centers and banned the use of drinking water for construction activities.
Residents of Navi Mumbai are also set to experience water shortages, with cuts scheduled to take effect from the upcoming Friday. As the current water reserves are only sufficient to last until March, the local municipality has initiated this measure to extend the supply until August. A 10 percent reduction will be implemented in the initial phase, with the proportion of water cuts slated to increase in the second phase.
The Nashik Municipal Corporation has requested approximately 8 TMC of water from the Gangapur, Darna, and Mukane dams to meet the needs of the city and the upcoming Kumbh Mela. An important meeting regarding this water reservation is scheduled to take place after October 15, attended by Guardian Minister Girish Mahajan. If the requested water quota is not approved, predictions indicate that Nashik residents may also face water cuts.
Nandurbar city is not facing an immediate crisis, as the Virchak dam, which supplies its water, currently holds an 85.52 percent stock. However, a 15-minute reduction has been applied to the water supply provided every two days, which is being felt in certain areas. Presently, the city receives about one hour of water supply during each cycle. Having observed water wastage in multiple locations, MLA Chandrakant Raghuvanshi appealed to citizens to avoid misusing water to prevent future shortages.
In response to the drought and water scarcity, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation has made a major decision to halt the fifth phase of cement road construction in the city, a project valued at 900 crore rupees. The civic body has taken these concrete steps in light of the inadequate rainfall, current dam levels, escalating demand, and rising heat. Additionally, the municipality has imposed a complete ban on the use of drinking water for gardens and all types of construction work across the city.
