Pune's 24/7 Water Dream: Eight Years On, Still Waiting

Eight years after its launch, the Pune Municipal Corporation’s (PMC) ambitious 24x7 water supply project is still facing significant delays. To date, only 25 of the planned 82 overhead water tanks have been commissioned.

While PMC officials report that construction of 66 tanks is complete, 41 remain non-operational due to pending connections to the supply network. Land acquisition challenges have been cited as a major cause of the delay. “The civic administration is arranging funds to build the connecting lines between water tanks and end-user taps,” said Nandkishor Jagtap, Head of PMC’s Water Supply Department.

The project involves an estimated ₹280 crore investment in tank construction, with each tank having a capacity between 20 to 40 lakh litres. So far, 700 km of the planned 1,060 km pipeline network has been laid, and about 70% of the 3.14 lakh water meters have been installed. Of the total project cost of ₹2,048 crore, ₹1,471 crore has already been spent.

The PMC expects construction to be completed by December 2025, with full system operationalisation targeted for March 2026.

News by Rahul Yelligetti.