July 10, 2009
As the 21st century progresses, access to water is a critical concern. Today, news broke that residents of Pune, India have been hit with a 40 percent cut in their water supply as a result of dwindling dam reserves and a delayed monsoon season.
Medha Patkar, 1992 Goldman Environmental Prize recipient for Asia and well-known Indian social activist, points to the vast increases in population around Pune and zealous development aiming to create a mega city in the region as the main culprits behind such a significant cut in water supply. More water is diverted from the dams to support burgeoning communities on the edges of Pune, threatening the livelihoods of the nearly 6 million people who live in the region. Patkar alleges that significant water supplies are being diverted to Lavasa City, a 10,000-acre planned community just outside of Pune that is being developed by Lavasa Corporation Ltd.
Pune reels under 40 per cent water cuts [IBN Live]
