At Pune restaurants, your glass of water will only be half-full

City's trademark frugality to the fore

Move over, cutting chai, make way for 'cutting paani'. This is the thrifty measure restaurants in Pune are now adopting, to conserve water. Trust a city known for its frugality to take such a step, in times of distress. Since Pune City is bracing for severe water shortage, its residents are far from displeased with such stringency.

The most popular restaurants, Vaishali, Rupali, Priya and Supriya, are only serving their patrons a half glass of water per person, that too on request. This measure has been taken as the reservoirs in Pune have gone dry and the Mutha canal wall collapse on September 27.

Residents told The Free Press Journal that they welcome this move. "Yes, many hotels have adopted this measure, it is a good move to conserve water," said Cherly Thorat, a resident of Dhankawadi.

Some Punekars have blamed outsiders for wasting their water. "I thought it was because of repair work by the water department, but it is to save our water, and I feel, this is a good move.

Many people, especially those coming from outside Pune waste water. I welcome this move," said Sujata Sabnis a resident of Kothrud. In Indian restaurants, it is the norm to serve full glasses of drinking water to patrons. However, Pune restaurant owners complain that many only drink half a glass of water, wasting the rest, as it must be thrown away after patrons leave. Keeping this in mind, the restaurateurs have decided they will not serve water until it is asked for and even then, only a half glass will be offered at a time. Pune gets 1,300 mld of water daily, from the Khadakvasla dam. However, this is the only water body that has storage in the current scenario and if this amount is consumed on a daily basis, supply will run out by summer.

The Guardian Minister for Pune, Girish Bapat, has asked Punekars to use water sparingly in the next few months, otherwise there will be no water from April to June in the city's reservoirs.