Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has made it compulsory to use greywater or treated water for construction activities, including concrete mixing, curing buildings, etc.

The municipal corporation administration had passed the order in this regard a bid to save 100 million litres per day (MLD) of water. The shopping malls using water-based cooling systems will also use treated water.

The Head of PMC, Aniruddha Pawaskar, told the media that tests are carried out of water coming out from sewage treatment plants (STPs), which shows that the treated water can be used further.

According to the officials, about one crore sq ft of construction activities, including residential and commercial projects, take place every year in Pune, and about 4,500 building permissions are granted every year. The official said that using treated water is mandatory for several purposes, such as saving potable drinking water and reducing underground water wastage.

According to an official, PMC was already willing to reduce water consumption after getting complaints from the irrigation department because of its misuse. The corporation had been using more than its allotted quota of 11.6 TMC of water in the last few years.

Another official said that the civic body was demanding more water from the irrigation department, stating reasons, including the merger of 23 villages and ease of Covid-19 lockdown restrictions. It has requested 18.58 TMC of water to cater to the increasing water needs.

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