Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has presented its ₹12,618 crore budget for the 2025-26 financial year, bringing relief to residents by not increasing taxes. However, the administration has introduced a water meter billing system, requiring citizens to pay for water consumption based on usage, similar to electricity billing.
PMC Commissioner Dr. Rajendra Bhosale announced that the Uniform Water Supply Scheme will now operate with a meter-based billing system, expected to generate ₹125 crore annually. The decision comes as part of the civic body’s broader efforts to streamline revenue collection and improve water supply management.
In 2023-24, the municipal corporation collected ₹130.98 crore in water charges, while ₹102.45 crore was collected as of January 31, 2025, for the 2024-25 financial year. The city currently has 47,070 active water connections, yet ₹727.96 crore remains unpaid due to factors such as faulty meters, duplicate billing, disconnections, and unpaid charges from declared slum areas.
The PMC has emphasized that consumers are responsible for installing water meters. In cases where meters are faulty, higher consumption estimates are used for billing until repairs are completed. 20-25% of pending dues are typically recovered once meters are fixed. The administration has intensified its efforts to collect outstanding water bill payments, as highlighted in the budget document.
The municipal corporation has been actively working to recover unpaid water bills through various means. In the 2023-24 financial year, PMC organized three Lok Adalats (public grievance redressal sessions), resulting in the recovery of ₹1.13 crore in dues. Further actions are expected to continue in the coming financial year to improve compliance and revenue collection.