Sudden change in long-standing water supply timing caused disruption in Pune's Viman Nagar area, especially affecting MHADA Colony.
Residents, mostly working-class families, were left without water during their regular morning hours, leading to strong opposition and calls for protest.
Officials assured to restore the original timing after public backlash and acknowledged the mismanagement on the first day of the new schedule.
Pune, 1st August 2025: The water supply in Pune’s Viman Nagar area was disrupted today after local officials changed the regular supply schedule without informing residents. The sudden change affected thousands of people in MHADA Colony, a locality where water has been supplied at 4 AM consistently for the past 30 years.
The colony, home to nearly 5,000 people, mostly working-class families, relies heavily on early morning water supply so residents can fill water before heading to work. Despite no complaints or requests for a change, the water department introduced a revised schedule from July 31. However, due to mismanagement, water stored in the tank for MHADA Colony was diverted to another area, leaving the tank empty when it was time to supply water to the colony.
Residents who were expecting water at the usual time were left with dry taps. Though a small amount of water was released around 10 AM after residents called the department, most had already left for work by then, causing severe inconvenience.
Angry over the unannounced change, residents of MHADA Colony, including Arvind Pardeshi, Rajendra Kastode, and Mofis Shaikh, expressed strong opposition. They stated that they had never asked for a change in schedule and demanded the supply timing be restored immediately. They warned of launching a protest if the original timing is not reinstated.
Eknath Gadekar, Assistant Engineer from the Water Supply Department, responded by saying that the concerned officials have been instructed to restore the earlier timing. He added that an internal review is being conducted to understand why the supply failed on the very first day of the new schedule.
The incident highlights the importance of community consultation before making changes to essential services like water supply, especially in a city like Pune where such services are tightly integrated into people’s daily routines.
