4 out 7 water filling stations lying defunct

Indian Express: Pune: Sunday, 24 March 2013.

Only three out of seven filling stations for water tankers, run by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), have active water meters.

According to information revealed through the response to an RTI filed by city-based Sajag Nagarik Manch, lack or poor condition of meters at the other four remaining water filling stations have resulted in hundreds of gallons of water being wasted on a daily basis. Incidentally, the issue had in fact been taken up with the city mayor. Such observations and recommendations by this group to the PMC have not so far yielded no result.

According to information revealed, meters are operational only at Patwardhan Baug, Wadgaon Sheri and Ramtekdi water points that are linked to a number of tankers filling water at that station. While tanker meters have not been fitted at Yerawada, Chatuhshringi, meter at Padmavati has become defunct since the past few months.

Parvati water station which, till a month ago, had three water points now has six points. While no meter has been installed at the newly created water points, the ones at old points are not functional. “PMC is talking about individual water meters in three lakh households. It is a matter of shame that the civic body has not been able to fit water meters at all the seven water filling stations. Given the PMC is unmoved, despite repeated complaints, it makes one wonder if this inaction is intentional,” said Vivek Velankar, RTI activist & founder of Sajag Nagarik Manch.

Interestingly, this so-called mismanagement has a money angle to it! According to information obtained by Vivek Velankar of Sajag Nagarik Manch, no receipts have been issued for tankers filling water at the stations. Moreover, there are no records of the capacity of the tankers and quantity of water filled by them at any of the water stations.

“The receipts issued are valid for30 days and have no stamp on them. As a result, the tankers use one receipt for a month and fill water,” Velankar said.

When contacted, superintendent engineer of PMC’s Water Supply Department V G Kulkarni said, “the data is in the office” and that he will “be able to comment only on Monday”.