Damaged 900-mm pipeline still under repair on third day

Lokmat News Network Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:

The seriousness of the Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran's (MJP) system regarding the water issues of the city's 18 lakh citizens is repeatedly coming to the fore. On Monday at 3 pm, a 900 mm diameter water pipeline burst at Takli Phata. The first day was spent in arguments about who should repair the pipeline. On the second day, the municipal corporation took the initiative to pump out the water around the pipeline, which took time. Even on the third day, the repair work on the pipeline was still ongoing.

Due to the MJP’s unforgivable mistakes, lakhs of citizens in the city are suffering from water scarcity. In March 2024, the MJP had promised to bring 75 MLD of water through the 900 mm diameter water pipeline laid under the emergency water supply scheme. However, even after a year, only about 20 MLD of water could be brought. Moreover, even if water is brought, there is no water treatment plant with a capacity of 26 MLD at Pharola to treat it. On top of that, the work on the 900 mm pipeline has been of extremely poor quality. There have been frequent instances of pipes cracking and breaking at various locations.

On Monday afternoon, the water pipeline was damaged when an excavator (JCB) struck it. The contractor responsible for laying the 900 mm water pipeline refused to undertake the repairs. The contractor working on the adjacent 2500 mm diameter pipeline also declined to assist. Finally, the municipal corporation took the initiative to handle the repairs. By Wednesday evening, the repair work was still ongoing. Sources mentioned that the testing would either take place at night or on Thursday morning.