As temperatures soar across Maharashtra, residents in the Panvel Municipal Corporation (PMC) limits are reeling under a severe water crisis. Despite growing public distress, there appears to be minimal initiative from local MLAs, MPs, or former corporators to resolve the issue. Taking matters into their own hands, a delegation of Youth Congress leaders from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) recently met party supremo and Member of Parliament Sharad Pawar in Mumbai to raise concerns over the worsening situation.
In a swift and characteristic response, Sharad Pawar directly contacted Panvel Municipal Commissioner Mangesh Chitale, instructing him to take immediate action to mitigate the water shortage. Acting promptly, Commissioner Chitale assured Pawar that a meeting with senior CIDCO officials would be convened to devise a plan of action.
Also Read: Panvel Water Cut: PMC Announces Area-Wise Water Cuts For One Day Per Week Due to Supply Shortage
According to sources, 29 villages under PMC jurisdiction and multiple CIDCO colonies are facing acute water scarcity. The NCP Youth Congress delegation met Pawar at the Yashwantrao Chavan Centre, also highlighting other civic issues plaguing the area.
Following their interaction with Pawar, the youth leaders met Commissioner Chitale to discuss pressing public grievances, including the redevelopment of the garden in Taloja Sector 10 and deteriorating road conditions. The delegation included Shahbaz Patel, Chand Sheikh, Shreyash Bhavsar, Harshal Patil, and Krishna Mardekar.
The youth leaders expressed hope that with Sharad Pawar’s intervention, long-pending civic issues would finally receive the attention they deserve.
In March third week, the civic body introduced a one-day-per-week water cut. According to an official from PMC’s Water Supply Department, the decision was necessary to ensure water availability until June 15, by which time the monsoon is expected to arrive.
PMC primarily sources its water from the Dehrang Dam, along with supplies from Maharashtra Jal Pradhikaran (MJP) and the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC). However, the water level in Dehrang Dam has dropped due to increased withdrawals, making it insufficient to last until the monsoon. As a result, the civic body has implemented area-wise water cuts, with different localities experiencing a one-day supply disruption each week.
Vilas Chavan, Deputy Engineer at PMC’s Water Supply Department, explained that water supply from the Patalganga River decreases on Sundays and Mondays. Additionally, frequent power shutdowns and technical breakdowns often disrupt MJP and MIDC's supply. To compensate, PMC has been drawing larger quantities from Dehrang Dam, further depleting its reserves.
To meet demand, PMC requires approximately 30 million liters per day (MLD). Of this, 16 MLD is drawn from Dehrang Dam, while the remaining supply comes from MIDC and MJP.