Pune: Residents in more than half of the city did not receive water at adequate pressure just two days before the commencement of Ganeshotsav on Friday following a daylong closure on Thursday.The water pumping was shut at more than 10 overhead tanks to facilitate repairs and maintenance at major water supply units at Parvati, Bhama Askhed, Wadgaon and Cantonment areas.Although the supply was expected to resume at its normal pressure by the afternoon, residents complained that the pressure remained low and supply was sporadic till the evening.Anant Raj, a resident of the Wadgaon area of Sinhagad Road, said the supply was not restored to normal pressure till Friday evening. “Every time there is a supply closure, it takes at least two days to get the regular pressure back to normal,” Raj said.Officials from Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) said water pumping started early in the morning at all the units, and water reached some residential areas late owing to problems in the distribution network. Nandkishor Jagtap, the head of PMC’s water supply department, told TOI that steps had been taken to improve the water distribution, especially after daylong closures, so that the flow of water in the pipelines did not face any interruption.Corporators have also underlined that the administration should not impose water cuts for the next two weeks for Ganeshotsav, and all planned repair and maintenance work should be held after the festive days. Officials said there was no immediate plan for daylong water cuts.“We have installed booster pumps and replaced old valves. During the daylong closure, the air valves remove the trapped air. The upgradation has been under way on a continuous basis,” Jagtap said.Elected representatives from different areas said many overhead tanks were ready, but the administration had not put these tanks to use. This delay was leading to additional problems. Mahendra Pathare, a former corporator from the Nagar Road area, said areas like Kharadi were located at the tail end of the distribution system, and hence they always received the supply much later than other areas.Officials from PMC’s water supply department said the administration was starting to implement equitable water supply in phases. The tanks that were ready have started supplying water in some areas, and more tanks will be operational to help maintain the water pressure in the distribution system.
