Mumbai, Thane Water Crisis to Last for a Month as Workers Need More Time to Repair Punctured Tunnel

The treatment project for the water tunnel that was damaged last month in Mumbai’s Bhandup, will be carried out by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) till the end of April, stated a report by The Free Press Journal. The 5-km-long tunnel was punctured after workers of a private developer allegedly dug a borewell at Wagale estate in Thane.

The restoration work, which will take place for a few more days, has been causing hindrances in the water supply in the city which is already struggling with water woes. Regarding the issue, BMC has asked the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) to recover the amount of repairs with a penalty of ₹75 crore from the developer who caused the damage to pipeline that supplies water to numerous regions of the city.

This negligence by the contractor has been causing severe water shortages in Thane, Bhandup and areas around it. It is because BMC has imposed a 15% water cut in the city till the time the tunnel will be repaired.

The report quoted a civic official as saying: “We had to pump out several litres of water from the tunnel, the supply was then diverted to an old defunct line to make an alternate supply, arrangements were made for ventilation and lighting in the tunnel and then the repair work could be started. After the work gets completed, the supply will be diverted back to the tunnel. However, it will take a few weeks to restore the supply.”

A BMC official has also assured that the tunnel will be repaired in time. “The repair work will be completed in time,” said the Additional Municipal Commissioner (Projects), P Velarasu.

As per the report, workers of the private developer broke the water tunnel while they were digging a borewell in Thane’s Wagale estate on March 28. However, it also stated that a RTI report reveals the tunnel was already damaged when the construction work was being carried out. And because of that, approximately three litres of water was reportedly being wasted on a daily basis. The supply was diverted to the 2,750 dia Vaitarna main, 2,750 dia Upper Vaitarna main and 3,000 dia Tansa replacement main to avoid any further wastage.

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