Mumbai: Redevelopment work snaps water supply to 1,000 Vikhroli families

The ruptured pipeline at Building No. 191 at Kannamwar Nagar, Vikhroli, on Friday. Pic/Sameer Markande

Nearly 1,000 families in Vikhroli's Kannamwar Nagar didn't get municipal water on Friday after redevelopment work on a building in the area damaged a supply line. The residents said they were forced to buy water, which costs about Rs 3,500 for a tanker. Housing body Mhada said the pipeline has been fixed and the supply would be restored soon.

The residents said their taps went dry on Thursday night. "This is festival season, we had no option but to order tankers. Who will pay for the tankers? How can anyone damage an underground water line? How can the developer not have a map of utilities?" wondered Shrikant Bhuchke, secretary of Rajmata Society. Mhada (Maharashtra housing and area development) has constructed the buildings at Kannamwar Nagar and has the details of the underground pipelines in the area.

Manjula Chorge, who lives in Swaymbhu Hanuman Nagar, said she wasn't aware of the reason for the disruption in the water supply. "We didn't get any water today [Friday]. As ours is a chawl, we don't have a storage tank. Office-goers and students suffered a lot as the water didn't come in the morning."

A tanker supplies water at Kannamwar Nagar, Vikhroli, on Friday

Even after getting water tankers, the trouble was far from over for many families. "We live on the first floor. We had to fill buckets and lug them up to our floor," said Janardan Padawi, a resident of Building No. 72. Shital Zhende said the ruptured pipeline affected at least 20 buildings. "I'm not aware of the exact cause but I heard that the main water line was broken during redevelopment work. Because of it, the women had to suffer," she said.

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The damage to the supply line happened during the redevelopment of Building No. 191, said former corporator Upendra Sawant. "I visited the spot and requested the officials to restore the supply as soon as possible. There are many underground utility lines. The authorities should take care to prevent such incidents in future."

Natasha Developers has been entrusted with the redevelopment of Building No. 191. They did not respond to messages from mid-day. Mhada Section Engineer Govardhan Kale told mid-day, "The repairing of the water pipeline has been completed. Supply will be restored soon. We had already shared a map of the underground utilities at the permission stage," he said. Another official said they will submit a report to their seniors about the incident.

Voices

Shrikant Bhuchke, secretary, Rajmata Society
‘This is festival season, we had no option but to order tankers. Who will pay for the tankers? How can anyone damage an underground water line?'

Janardan Padawi, Building No. 72
‘We live on the first floor. We had to fill buckets and lug them up to our floor'

Shital Zhende, Kannamwar Nagar resident
‘I'm not aware of the exact cause but I heard that the main water line was broken during redevelopment work. Because of it, the women had to suffer'

Govardhan Kale, Mhada section engineer
‘The repairing of the water pipeline has been completed. Supply will be restored soon. We had already shared a map of the underground utilities at the permission stage'

Rs 3,500
Cost of a tanker of water