Pune: PMRDA has granted building permissions to more than 200 projects after developers identified alternative water sources for areas beyond 5km of municipal limits. The clearances were issued after builders committed to sourcing water from Pune Zilla Parishad and Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran . Both Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) had expressed their inability last month to supply water to areas beyond 5km of their jurisdiction.
"Each application underwent rigorous scrutiny of water source documentation before approval," a senior Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) official told TOI. PMRDA has adopted a stringent approach to water source verification, with water scarcity issues affecting numerous projects in the area. While applications for these areas were kept in a standby mode for a short period, permissions were granted later after the developers showed the water source.
The affected area covers approximately 231 villages. PMRDA officials said that they had reached out to both PMC and PCMC for water supply. "Even as they have expressed their inability, they are also bound by the rules of the urban development department and have to provide water.
However, if they cannot, Pune Zilla Parishad and Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran or GSDA are bound to provide water solutions in these areas," the official said. In the letter, PMC informed PMRDA that it needs 24 TMC of water (which will rise to 26 TMC by 203.