‘Pune Samwad,’ PIC’s monthly programme in Marathi, featured a conversation with renowned Pune-based environmentalist, Prof. Vijay Paranjpye on the topic “पुण्याचं पाणी कुठे मुरतंय?”  The webinar was chaired by Shri. S. Chockalingam (IAS), Director General, Yashwantrao Chavan Academy for Development Administration (YASHADA), Pune,’ with well-known water expert Mr Vivek Bodhankar as a discussant. The event was anchored by Dr. Vishal Gaikwad, Research Fellow, PIC
In his opening remarks, Shri. S. Chockalingam pointed out that a number of dams and water bodies exist around Pune city, but due to the irrational usage of water and poor conservation, the city is bound to face shortages in the near future.
Prof Paranjpye presented a detailed analysis of the water availability and usage in Pune city and said the people were using water more as a commodity and less as nature’s bounty. He said a lack of open domain knowledge regarding local water supply systems, drainage supply systems, stormwater drains and underground water sources has caused this crisis. Mr. Bodhankar, added that due to poor participation at the ward/local level, there is a need to generate this awareness at the grassroot level about water conservation. Rapid Urbanisation and over-reliance on water tankers were symptomatic of the water inequality and indiscriminate water use by the society today, said Prof. Paranjpye.
In his concluding remarks, the chairperson emphasized the need to focus on long term water issues and short-term measures. The Q&A segment focused on water conservation in residential societies and the drawbacks of using R.O filtration technology.