Mumbai: Navi Mumbai to face water shortage after major pipeline burst

Repeated water shutdowns, weekly half-day supply cuts and irregular supply along with low pressure have upset the residents of Navi Mumbai, who are accustomed to regular and abundant water supply over the years. Now as per a Hindustan Times report, water supply in Navi Mumbai is likely to be affected for the next two days after a pipeline ruptured at Adai village near Mumbai-Pune Expressway. 

According to the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC), a sudden increase in water pressure from Bhokarpada Filtration Plant led to a portion of the pipeline getting damaged at 11.20 am. The NMMC swung into action and carried out a 14-hour-long repair to fix the pipeline.Sanjay Desai, city engineer, said, “A portion of the pipeline around 12 kms away from the NMMC headquarters was ruptured owing to the sudden increase in pressure. As soon as the corporation was informed about the fault, the water supply from Morbe dam was discontinued and the pipeline was drained to undertake repair, involving welding a whole new unit of pipeline.”A new segment of two-metre pipe was transported from the dam to take up the works, involving 70 labourers. “As the base of the pipeline was ruptured, it was decided to replace the entire segment,” Desai added.

The civic body supplies 429 million litres per day (MLD) of water, of which 231 MLD is supplied in residential areas and 26 MLD goes to the commercial sector. Around 93 MLD is provisioned to villages and slum zones. Both residential and commercial zones put together, the NMMC supplies water to a total of 1,20,493 connections through a 1,118.86 km-long pipeline.An engineer from the water department said, “Water supply is going to be affected for the next two days as the corporation will be able to supply water with low pressure only during the morning.”Meanwhile, though former corporators and the administration issued an alert about the impending work, residents were irked over repeated issues with the water distribution.