pune low real estate prices in fringe areas lacking proper pipeline network and other infrastructure are enticing many buyers to invest there posing a threat of severe water scarcity following the expansion of the pune civic limitsthe current situation almost mirrors the water supply scenario in the pune municipal corporation pmc areas around 35 years ago when 23 villages were merged with it in 1997 the waterstarved areas then are now getting adequate supply thoughthe newly merged areas suffered from water scarcity in late 90s the construction boom had started but the properties had limited takers because of nonavailability of water those who bought properties then had to live without water for decades said shankar kemse a former leader of pmc and a corporator of bhusari colony areas thencut to 2022 wider water supply pipelines and better use of gravity for laying them could help in improving the situation in fringe areas now observed experts according to political leaders the possibility of getting water from mulshi dam is a ray of hopeexperts stated that four to sixinch lines were laid for connections from main lines to sublines these get reduced to oneinch or less while providing water to households pipelines with wider diameter could help in meeting the extra water demand an expert saidaniruddha pawaskar the head of pmcs water supply department said the civic body had prepared a plan on the lines of the 24x7 water supply project to improve the water supply distribution system not only in the existing pmc limits but also in the recently merged areasa consultant has been appointed for the study the groundlevel situation for the water supply system would be assessed in the newly merged areas the demand and the supply would be measured then the system would be improved accordingly he saidaccording to mp girish bapat the 24x7 water supply project would be functional by february 2023 it is likely to resolve water issues including supply in low pressure in many areasthe works are 55 complete the pending issues like land acquisition and other infrastructure problems are being resolved amicably the project will save around 3 tmc water bapat saidthe 116 tmc sanctioned water quota of pmc has not been increased after the merger of 34 villages despite it demanding around 18 tmc water during the inauguration of the bhama askhed dam project deputy chief minister ajit pawar had said 5 to 7 tmc water from the mulshi dam should be given to puneamol balwadkar a former corporator from the balewadi area recently filed a public interest litigation on behalf of the residents of sus and mhalunge in the bombay high court seeking solution to water issues he said it looked like pmc and the pune metropolitan region development authority had not taken adequate steps to provide water to both the areas merged in pmc limits in 2021the situation will get even more challenging in coming days as both areas are undergoing huge development in terms of population and commercial activities the