Elected members of PMC demand Bapat’s ouster

Pune: The 40 lakh population of Pune is going to be at the mercy of rain gods.Guardian minister Girish Bapat's decision to release 1 TMC water for Daund and Indapur has not gone down too well with the city's municipal corporators.
The city's water supply situation may turn critical if the catchment area of Khadakwasla, Temghar, Panshet and Varasgaon dams does not get good rainfall by June 15.The decision by district guardian minister Girish Bapat to release 1 TMC water for Daund and Indapur may have delivered a telling blow to the Pune Municipal Corporation's planning of water supply.
Pune Municipal Corporation's general body meeting on Tuesday saw resonated with protests by all political parties, barring Bharatiya Janata Party. Corporators demanded Bapat's resignation for failing to protect the city's interests. They also demanded adjournment of the meeting.
According to PMC officials, the city will require around 3.3 TMC water until July 31 and the supply had been planned in such a manner as to last the period. they had planned water supply in such a way to make it last till July 31. The city will require around 3.3 TMC water till July 31. If further water is discharged from the quota, it will affect city's water supply, officials added.
"We will take stock of the situation in June and then take a call. If the rainfall until June 15 isn't good rainfall does not take place around June 15 and water levels in dams don't increase, the city will suffer," said VG Kulkarni, head of PMC's water department, when asked if city will be subjected to more water cuts now.
Eventually, the general body meeting of Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) was adjourned after the minister's move was condemned the guardian minister's move. The PMC officials have kept their fingers crossed hoping for early arrival of monsoon. If the rains get delayed or the catchment areas of the dams do not record healthy rainfall by mid June, the civic body will find it tough to manage the water supply, despite the tall claims made by Bapat and his partymen that the city will not suffer. Corporators belonging to Congress, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) registered their protest staged an agitation during the general body meeting, claiming . The elected members of these parties raised slogans against BJP leaders. They claimed that guardian minister Bapat has taken the decision in an autocratic manner. "The general body condemns the guardian minister, who has stolen Pune's water. The meeting is adjourned in protest," the adjournment proposal stated.
"The decision of giving water was taken without seeking anybody's consent. How can the guardian minister take such decision? He has cheated the citizens of Pune," said Shankar (Bandu) Kemse, leader of house in PMC.
"Why are the MLAs of BJP and the member of parliament silent?. They should give answers for the manner in which Pune's water is given to the other areas," said Arvind Shinde, leader of opposition.
"Taking the water from Pune's stock and giving it to other villages is nothing but theft. The guardian minster should put in his papers," said Kishor Shinde, a corporator of MNS.
On the other hand, BJP corporators termed the protests as ‘low level politics'. "The decision to give water to villagers will not affect the citizens of Pune city. Measures will be taken to control water theft and leakages," said Ganesh Bidkar, leader of the party in PMC.
Activists too gun for resignation
Sajag Nagrik Manch, a citizens' group, has demanded Girish Bapat's removal from the post of guardian minister. "If the arrival of monsoon is delayed then the city will have to suffer more water cuts. The citizens of Pune have saved around 2.5 TMC water because of alternate day supply. They will have to suffer more. The guardian minister has neither paid attention to experts, nor has he respected the sentiments of citizens of Pune. He should be removed from the post"He The guardian minister of Pune has not taken any elected member or the civic chiefPune municipal commissioner into confidence before taking the decision. The manner in which the decision was taken with complete disregard to democratic process is condemnable," stated the group's letter to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
Despite several attempts, Bapat did not respond to phone calls or messages sent on his cellphone.The letter added that both Daund and Indapur talukas will require around 100 crore litre water, but around 1000 crore litre water will be released leading to massive wastage when we can ill afford it. "Around 900 crore litre water will be wasted because of the release through the canal. Experts have said that water from the dead storage of Ujani dam could be sent to Indapur as the dam is near to that taluka.The irrigation officers have observed that 1 TMC water released through the canal will not reach Indapur", said Vivek Velankar, founder of the Manch in his letter.
Velankar pointed out that past experience shows that heavy rainfall in dam catchments starts by July end. "If the arrival of monsoon is delayed then the city will have to suffer more water cuts. The citizens of Pune have saved around 2.5 TMC water because of alternate day supply. They will have to suffer more. The guardian minister has neither paid attention to experts, nor has he respected the sentiments of citizens of Pune. He should be removed from the post," stated the letter.