Aurangabad civic body bans use of fresh water for construction activities

Aurangabad: The civic body in Aurangabad in Maharashtra has decided to ban the use of freshwater for construction activities in order to tide over water scarcity in Marathwada’s largest city, an official said on Monday.

The Aurangabad Municipal Corporation will also seek three million litres per day (MLD) addition water supply from the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC), Commissioner Aastik Kumar Pandey told reporters.

Pandey said a 30-point programme will be implemented to manage water supply, adding that not much had been done to augment the city’s water supply mechanism as well as capacity over the last three to four years.

”To tide over water scarcity, we have decided to ban use of fresh water for construction activity in AMC limits. It will be mandatory to use water from sewage treatment plants for at least the next to two to three months,” he said.

Restrictions can be brought on swimming pools if needed, but the civic body does not want to disturb the gradual return of the city to normalcy post the COVID-19 pandemic, he added.

”The administration has initiated a plan to acquire private and government-controlled wells. Guardian officers will be appointed to keep a watch on linemen who are responsible for proper water supply,” Pandey said.

Aurangabad Divisional Commissioner Sunil Kendrekar, meanwhile, issued instructions to speedily complete the water supply works at Harsul Lake.

A Shiv Sena delegation had met Pandey during the day over the water woes of people in the city.