13 March,2016 01:30 PM IST | | Shailesh Bhatia
Civic workers repair leak in pipeline near Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Link Road within days of mid-day report; anti-social elements strike pipeline again within hours
Two days after mid-day published a report on thousands of litres of water wasted over 45 days thanks to a burst pipeline near the Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Link Road, and authorities fixed the leak, civic authorities allege that within hours the pipe was punctured again by anti social elements.
Also read: Water cut in Mumbai, drought in Maharashtra, but this burst pipe hasn't been fixed for 45 days
Water gushes out of the burst pipeline on Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Link Road. Pic/Nimesh Dave
"We have complained to the CEO of Aarey and have urged him to file an FIR, so that those responsible for the act are booked and such acts are not repeated. Past records reveal that the same spot was vandalised before on 10 different occasions. We fix the pipe, and within hours, it's back to square one. It's frustrating," said Jivhav Sonone, Deputy Engineer - PWD Aarey.
Gaganand Raut, CEO of Aarey, who rushed his staff to the spot on Friday, said, "The concrete pipeline cannot be shut because it has been sourced from the Powai lake to the buffalo sheds inside the Aarey complex. It is a serious and reoccurring problem which must be tackled."
Local resident Sudhakar Shenoy, an ex-employee of Air India, who had first spotted the jet one-and-a-half months ago, was surprised to find the pipeline spewing water again. "On Friday, I was happy to see that the pipe had been repaired. But at around 3.30 pm, the jet was back and with greater force," said Shenoy.
By noon, the leak was once again plugged.
