Pune: Societies chip in to save water, promote mindful use

PUNE: Housing societies are making efforts to save water by fixing leaking taps, limiting the usage and encouraging mindful consumption.
Neha Mansukhani, a resident of Salunke Vihar, said, “The management committee carried out a drive, in collaboration with a corporate house as a part of its CSR (corporate social responsibility) activity, to fix all leaking water taps and fixtures in houses in 2019.While it was well appreciated by all, no such efforts were made during the last two years of the pandemic. This year, the management committee asked all the residents if any taps were to be fixed and they called a plumber to get the jobs done over a weekend.”
Many housing societies in Kondhwa and Undri are reliant on water tankers for their daily supply. An increase in water consumption is an added expenditure, stressed several housing societies’ management committees in these areas.
“We have to buy sufficient water for all the residents, so we are encouraging them to be mindful about limiting its use, while finding alternative solutions. There are a total of 88 flats with balconies. We have requested these residents not to wash their balconies daily, but to wipe their grilles and mop the floor instead,” said Salim Mohammed, a member of the management committee of a multi-wing housing society in Undri.
To avoid wastage, some housing societies are also imposing fines up to Rs5,000 on residents who allow their individual tanks to overflow.
In water-starved Wagholi, residents are finding alternative solutions for chores that require a lot of water, like washing vehicles.
Hrishikesh Patil, a resident of Wagholi, said, “The daily requirement of water per person in urban areas is 100-150 litres, but washing a car with a hose can take up to 75-100 litres. When people were not taking their cars out during the lockdown, they were being washed once a week or a fortnight or even after a longer duration. But now, with everything back to normal, most residents are washing their vehicles regularly. So, the water consumption has increased by over 50%.”
Against this backdrop, he said, “Many residents have posted alternative solutions, like how one can wash vehicle with a single bottle of water mixed with a cleaner, using wet and dry wiping cloths and so on. Recently, a resident introduced us to a professional service that wash cars with only a bottle of water.”
Residents of Baner-Pashan Link Road are also encouraging each other to participate in mindful usage of water. Sayali Kulkarni, a resident of the area, said, “The housekeeping staff has been instructed to water the garden area only during the evening to prevent the evaporation loss.”
Ramesh Sethi, the secretary of Planet Millennium Cooperative Housing Society in Pimple Saudagar, comprising around 629 flats and rowhouses, said, “Due to water scarcity this year, we had to shorten our daily water supply hours. Now, we have instructed tenants to mind their daily usage of water, especially for the courtyard usage or for washing car.”
(With inputs from Piyush Bhusari)