Pune: The civic administration has issued a public appeal asking landowners in villages along the Sinhagad Road and Katraj belt to hand over plots earmarked for 37 proposed water tanks to strengthen water supply, assuring compensation through direct land purchases.The project covers several water-stressed localities, including GBS-affected pockets like Dhayari, Kirkatwadi, Khadakwasla, Nandoshi and Narhe, where residents have demanded a permanent solution to water scarcity since their merged into the PMC limits about five years back.Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) officials said the locations and survey numbers of all 37 proposed tanks had been finalised and published. “The move is aimed at expediting land acquisition, a process that has often delayed civic infrastructure projects,” an official said.Under the plan, PMC will directly buy the required plots from landowners. “The land requirement for each overhead tank ranges from 400sqm to 3,200sqm, depending on the location and projected demand. Most tanks have been planned near residential neighbourhoods to ensure adequate water pressure and uniform distribution,” the official said.The distribution of tanks has been based on existing and future population estimates. Dhayari and Nandoshi are slated to get six tanks each, while four tanks each have been proposed in Narhe and Khadakwasla. Other merged areas will have two to three tanks depending on local requirements.Sources said a detailed project report (DPR) worth over Rs 800 crore had already been prepared to overhaul water infrastructure in the merged areas, for which financial assistance may be sought from Union govt.Residents said water scarcity remained one of the biggest unresolved issues in the merged villages. Kaka Chavan, NCP (SP) member and former corporator, said repeated meetings over the past few years had failed to yield substantial relief for citizens. “People are facing immense hardship because of the lack of water. The time has come for concrete action to improve water availability,” Chavan said.The 37-tank proposal forms part of PMC’s broader plan to strengthen water supply across 23 merged areas through area-specific infrastructure packages. Similar DPRs have also been prepared for Bavdhan-Sus, Wagholi-Lohegaon and Manjari-Sadesatra Nali regions.
