Pune: The State government has sanctioned Rs 838.8 crore to implement water supply and sanitation schemes in Pune district. As per the district information officer (DIO) drinking water supply scheme has to be implemented in 929 villages of the district under the National Rural Drinking Water Scheme for 2018-19.

A total of 465 schemes will be implemented in these villages where water scarcity has been an issue. 

The National Rural Drinking Water Scheme was stayed by the Centre in 2015, instructing the concerned departments to implement the schemes only in villages eligible under the Adarsh Gram Yojana. 

As a result, water supply schemes were implemented in a few villages of the district. Meanwhile, State Water Supply and Sanitation Minister Babanrao Lonikar was constantly following up the issue with the Centre for lifting the stay on implementation of the water supply schemes. The Centre granted permission to start water supply schemes in the state. A draft was prepared to start the schemes as suggested by District Guardian Minister Girish Bapat.

A DIO press note stated that the funds for sanitation under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan will include  Rs 4.37 crore. Junnar taluka with 212 villages and 48 schemes will get Rs 101.7 crore and Haveli with  125 villages and 47 schemes will get Rs 89.6 crore.