The water pipeline burst in Bhandup (West) on Thursday, third in less than a month, uprooted paver blocks, led to a traffic jam, and caused diversion of BEST buses. Local residents shared pictures and videos on Twitter tagging the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).
The incident occurred around 6 pm on Pratap Nagar Road. Civic officials said the pipeline, which supplies water from Bhandup reservoir to Bhandup (West) and Vikhroli (West), will be replaced with the one made up of mild steel. The old pipeline, which is made up of GRP (glass-reinforced plastic), was used nearly two decades ago on an experimental basis and later discontinued.
An official from the hydraulic engineer department said the water supply was not much affected and it would be restored by 7.30 pm, and there was a slight delay because of the rain.
“We are replacing the whole pipeline, which is approximately 1.5-km-long, but first we will replace this 100-metre stretch because it keeps bursting. We have the work order ready and the contractor has also been appointed; we are waiting for the traffic police department’s NOC [no objection certificate],” he said.
When contacted, a traffic police department official said, “We had a meeting with the ward officials today and I got the application for an NOC in the afternoon. The contractor will have to send some more documents. But had the BMC sent us its application during the last pipeline burst we would have completed all formalities by now.”
Citizens and the ex-corporator have taken to Twitter time and again requesting the BMC to find a permanent solution to the frequent bursts.
“Last month, when the pipeline burst, we were without water for four days and we were forced to buy drinking water. Again today, there is no supply and we are using the water we have stored. The problem is recurring but the BMC is not doing anything to fix this,” Ganesh Wakale, a local resident, said.
HT had on September 24 reported a pipeline burst in Bhandup, just a day after it was repaired.