As mercury levels continue to soar past two months over 40°C and a heatwave alert looms over the region, Pune and its twin city, Pimpri-Chinchwad, are grappling with a growing water crisis. The Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) warned the housing societies about the activation of their Sewage Treatment Plants (STPS).

In a serious breach of environmental compliance, it has come to light that 184 large housing societies in Pimpri-Chinchwad failed to operate their mandated STPs even after receiving up to three notices from the PCMC. These STPs are required under the Unified Development Control and Promotion Regulations (UDCPR) enforced all over Maharashtra for societies with over 100 flats or consuming over 20,000 litres of water daily.