Residents of the Ganga Kingston residential complex in Pune’s Mohammed Wadi have raised serious concerns after contaminated water entered their drinking water tanks. The contamination reportedly began when construction activities nearby diverted a natural stormwater channel, causing polluted runoff to seep into their water supply. Despite repeated complaints over more than a year, residents say the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has taken little effective action.
Daljit Singh Goraya, a resident, explained the issue started when builders blocked the natural rainwater flow from a nearby hill. “Our society had constructed a trench to channel the water safely, but after the natural path was diverted, drainage from nearby labour camps started flowing like a river behind our wall. Heavy rains then caused this water to mix into our drinking water tank,” he said.Another resident added that the original stormwater drain was destroyed during construction of new societies like Elina Living and Raheja Sterling.
“Their wastewater diverted behind our society’s wall has created a swamp that seeps through cracks into our drinking water tank. Although fines of over ₹10,000 were imposed on the builders, these penalties seem insignificant and the problem persists,” he said.The contamination posed an immediate health risk to nearly 1,500 residents. “At one point, dirty water was gushing into our drinking water tank with the force of a motor pipe. We had to warn residents not to use tap water, clean all overhead and underground tanks, and waterproof them at our own expense. Still, it remains a temporary fix, and seepage continues,” said resident Jaymala Dhankikar.
Residents claim that numerous complaints to the PMC have yielded no lasting solution. Despite site inspections and fines, new high-rise construction permissions continue to be granted without proper drainage or sewerage planning.“The core issue is PMC’s lack of infrastructure—no proper drainage or sewer system—yet they approve 35-floor buildings. Roads are narrow, vehicle numbers are rising, and now there’s even a plan for an electric bus charging station nearby. But they can’t even guarantee safe drinking water for us,” Goraya lamented.The contamination and heavy rains forced residents to stop using tap water altogether, turning instead to bottled water for drinking and cooking.
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