Maharashtra state government announced on Oct 12, 2024, a 10% water consumption cut and Rs 5,000 fines for wastage across Nagpur, Pune and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar as part of a water curfew.
The directive orders dry taps every Thursday from Oct 15, closes washing centres and bans potable water for construction, gardening and swimming pools. FIRs will be registered for illegal connections and water‑meter tampering, while legal connections will be facilitated through zonal camps and mandatory metering.
Nagpur, holding only 58% of its reservoir capacity, will see each instance of waste—washing streets, watering gardens or using water for construction—penalised with a Rs 5,000 fine. Old wells will be cleaned and fitted with solar pumps, and recycled water will be earmarked for parks and non‑potable uses.
In Pune, Khadakwasla’s 26.22 TMC reservoir triggers a city‑wide 10% cut that will last until Aug 31, 2027. The city will shut washing centres, restrict swimming pools, and enforce a 10% reduction in household supply, with residents urged to report leaks via the PMC Care app.
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar faces a daily loss of 1.649 million cubic metres from Jayakwadi Dam, enough to meet seven days of the 1.8 million‑resident city’s needs. The state has earmarked 184 MCM for the city and is tightening restrictions on irrigation and household use as the heat climbs above 38 °C.
A Pune resident, Sunita Rao, says the new curfew means her family can only fetch water twice a day, while a Nagpur construction worker notes the fines cut his projects by a third of expected output. The measures will begin on Oct 16, with state officials monitoring compliance through a network of sensors and the PM Care platform, and a review scheduled for March 2025.