Apart from the heavy water loss, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) officials are also concerned about the surrounding buildings.
The city is facing its worst water crisis ever and the woes are expected to worsen in the days to come. Water supply
to Mumbaikars living in the western suburbs between Malad and Borivli is likely to dip further. The curtailment will be due to the civic hydraulic department’s plan to make temporary changes to the pipeline network supplying water to the region.
Currently, an underground water tunnel is being used to convey water from Bhandup to the local service reservoir. It is then distributed to the homes between Malad and Borivli. The tunnel, however, has had a leak since February 12 this year. The damage was done when some people punctured a hole in the tunnel while attempting to drill an illegal borewell at a site near Marve Road, Malad.
Apart from the heavy water loss, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) officials are also concerned about the surrounding buildings.
The seepage of water from the underground tunnel is likely to affect the foundations of buildings in the vicinity. While a wooden plug has been used to control the extent of leakage for the time being, a senior hydraulic department official said that repairs needed to be carried out on a war footing.
In order to carry out the repairs, the BMC will have to empty all the water from the tunnel. This would require the civic body to switch over the water supply to a pipeline network, which was used to supply water to the area before the tunnel was built, to quench the citizens’ thirst. The switch, officials said, will lead to reduction in the water supply as the pipeline network is prone to leaks.
The work for restoration of the damaged portion of the tunnel, which is located at least 75-80 metres below the ground, is expected to begin in the coming weeks. Hydrualic department chief Vinay Deshpande said that the BMC was in the process of procuring specialised machines (submersible high-head pumps) for the restoration work.
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