Pimpri: A large water main of the municipal corporation burst during work on the Pimpri-Nigdi metro corridor, with residents and local representatives alleging that lakhs of litres of water were wasted.
Citizens and elected representatives have criticised what they call carelessness in the metro work. Local residents say this is not the first time a pipeline has burst on the Pimpri-Nigdi stretch.
According to their account, the civic water line has burst nearly five times so far because of the metro construction. The repeated failures have raised questions about how the work is planned and how the agencies involved coordinate with each other.
Keeping a regular and adequate water supply is the corporation's core job, and frequent bursts on large mains threaten that. Residents said pressure in the area is likely to drop and supply may be cut for some hours.
Repair work is reported to be under way. What residents are asking is whether any firm measures are being taken to stop the losses. They want underground utility maps checked before digging begins and better coordination between the agencies.
Neither the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation nor the agencies executing the metro project have issued an official statement on the incident, and no estimate of the loss has been made public.
With water cuts already a sore subject in the region, the wastage has become a sensitive local issue. Residents' groups are demanding that utility maps and prior notice of excavation be made mandatory at every work site.
The Pimpri-Nigdi line is part of the wider Pune Metro network being built across the twin cities.