In a bid to utilise its water storage for a longer duration, Panvel Municipal Corporation has decided to resort to one day no supply a week on a rotational basis across the neighbourhoods. The plan will come into effect From December 8 and will be in force till June 15 when the civic body hopes to receive monsoon.
The civic body needs approximately 32 million liters (MLD) of water a day, with 16 MLD sourced from its own Dehrang Dam and the rest from Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) and Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran (MJP). Panvel residents are no strangers to water shortages, a challenge exacerbated by the city's expansion and a significant population increase. While the Appasaheb Vedak Dam (Dehrang Dam) owned by the former Panvel Municipal Council has a capacity of 3.5 million cubic meters, it requires desilting to enhance its capacity. Despite depending on external sources to meet demand, the city grapples with inconsistent water supply due to technical repairs and shutdowns. Notably, MIDC and MJP supply water from the Patalganga river, connected to the Tata Hydro Power project. Unfortunately, water availability remains insufficient on Sundays and Mondays, further complicating the situation. To preemptively manage the water crisis, the municipal corporation has decided to implement a weekly one-day water cut, starting December 8. This decision aims to conserve water in the Dehrang Dam during the dry months, ensuring a sustained supply during the summer. Following areas won’t have water on specific days Monday: Market Yard, Bhaji Market, Pioneer Society, Thane Naka, Patel Park, Jain Mandir, Ganapati Mandir, Mamledar Kacheri, Dattaraj Society, Sathe galli, Virupaksh Mandir, and Dhootpapeshwar Factory Tuesday:Patel Mohalla Wednesday: HOC Colony area Thursday: Thane Naka area. Friday: Middle Class Society (Part One and Two) and S. K. Bajaj. Saturday: Takka village and urban settlement Sunday: Water supply normal