Technical snags in 900 mm pipeline worries civic body

Lokmat News Network

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:

To ensure the city receives an additional 75 MLD of water, a 900 mm diameter water pipeline was laid from Jayakwadi to Pharola eight months ago. The pipeline work has several technical flaws, and there are concerns about its quality. There are leakages at many places along the pipeline. The repair work is being done in a very sloppy manner. The Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran (MJP) needs to conduct an audit of this work.

Before the completion of the new water supply scheme, to provide the city with sufficient water temporarily, the then Divisional Commissioner Sunil Kendrekar ordered the laying of a 900 mm diameter water pipeline. DI pipes were used for the pipeline. The work involved simply inserting one pipe into another. However, this work was not done in a scientifically correct manner. Where the soil layer is not good, PCC (Plain Cement Concrete) was not applied, and in some places, cement concrete support to prevent the pipes from loosening was not provided. If the soil around the pipeline is removed, the pipes are coming out on their own. It appears that MJP officials have neglected the quality of work. If this pipeline is transferred to the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Municipal Corporation (CSMC) in the future, the repair costs will increase significantly. It is essential to conduct a complete audit of this work before the transfer.

Despite being experts, negligence

MJP is a specialised organization in water supply. Near Georai village, the 900 mm pipeline developed a leakage. To fix this leakage, three weeks ago, the contractor and PMC applied cement concrete at the leakage point while the water supply was still ongoing. However, the leakage did not get sealed. Even an untrained person could tell that such leakage would not stop while the pipeline is operational.

When 100 pc usage starts

A question arises as to how many places the pipeline will burst once 75 MLD of water is being supplied through it. A 3700 horsepower pump has recently been installed for this pipeline at Jayakwadi. Its test will be conducted soon. After that, the quality of the contractor's work will become evident.