Pune: A misunderstanding by the Pune Municipal Corporation’s (PMC) water supply department resulted in a severe water shortage for nearly five lakh residents of East Pune on Sunday (February 16).

The crisis unfolded when a 700 mm diameter pipeline supplying water from the Parvati Water Supply Center to central Pune and Shivajinagar burst. Mistakenly believing that the Lashkar (Cantonment) Water Supply Center’s supply line had also been damaged, PMC officials shut off the Lashkar water supply, affecting areas such as Hadapsar, Kharadi, Mundhwa, Kondhwa, and Mohammadwadi.

The Lashkar Water Center relies on a 3000 mm diameter water pipeline running parallel to the damaged Parvati pipeline. Due to the immense water pressure and the sudden flooding of nearby roads and residential areas, officials wrongly assumed that the Lashkar supply line was also broken. To prevent further leakage, they shut down the water center's operations.

The result was an unexpected water crisis in several parts of East Pune. Residents were left scrambling for water on a Sunday, with many forced to buy water from private tankers. The surge in demand allowed private tanker operators to increase their prices, with some areas witnessing a sharp rise in rates—doubling in certain locations.

Municipal authorities launched an excavation operation at 4:00 PM, finally confirming that the burst pipeline was the one supplying central Pune and Shivajinagar, not the Lashkar Water Center’s line. Consequently, water supply from the Lashkar Water Center was restored late at night, but only to areas that typically receive water during nighttime hours.

The water pipeline burst in the early morning hours, causing sudden flooding in residential areas up to Survey No. 133. Roads were submerged, and the unexpected rush of water startled residents, many of whom feared a repeat of the 2019 Khadakwasla Canal breach.

That incident had caused significant damage, flooding over 150 homes. Remembering the past disaster, many residents rushed to wake up their families, evacuate children, and secure valuables, assuming another major canal breach had occurred.