Audit reveals massive water loss due to negligence of contractors appointed by various civic agencies.
Frequent bursts on the ageing Tansa water pipelines is a definite cause of worry, but a bigger concern is the massive water loss caused by pipeline damages that happen due to negligence of contractors appointed by various civic agencies.
An audit conducted by the civic hydraulic department has revealed that the city has last over 30 million litres of water from January last year till date. The massive water loss has been due to damages inflicted on the pipelines by “irresponsible” contractors, the audit said.
Considering that the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is presently supplying water at a per capita rate of 90 litres, the amount of water lost to such incidents would have been sufficient to quench the thirst of 3.3 lakh people.
According to a senior hydraulic department engineer, nearly 60 incidents, where contractors damaged pipelines during excavation work, were reported during the period. While 55 of these, the official said, were due to contractors appointed by the MMRDA and MSRDC. Also, the repair work carried out on the damaged pipelines cost the BMC Rs1.26 crore, said hydraulic chief Vinay Deshpande.
Deshpande’s deputy PM Guhe said that none of the contractors have so far paid up for the damages. The civic body claimed that one of the major problems was that the MMRDA and MSRDC contractors do not approach the hydraulic department for permission before carrying out excavation work.
The issue was also raised in a meeting on water chaired by CM Ashok Chavan on Monday. Following which, Chavan has instructed the two state agencies to ensure better coordination with the contractors henceforth. MMRDA commissioner Ratnakar Gaikwad had also recently issued a circular making it mandatory for road contractors to obtain the hydraulic department’s permission.
Upper Vaitarna level drops
The four recent incidents of water pipeline bursts along the Tansa mains have led to depletion in levels at the Upper Vaitarna reservoir. Following the bursts, the BMC had to decrease intake from the Tansa reservoirs to take up repairs works on the damaged portions.
To make up for the shortfall, the civic body thus has been drawing 1,800 million litres daily from the Upper Vaitarna reservoirs since March 23. This had led to decrease in levels of water at the reservoir, which holds the key to the city’s survival till monsoon. The reservoir is now just 1.59 metres away from reaching its lowest drawable level.
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