Mumbai: BMC cracks down on its pipe-breakers

The damage to the Veravali pipeline hampered the water supply in Andheri East for four days. File pic

Taking a tough stand on damage to water pipelines by construction activities, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is warning errant contractors of stringent action. While the contractor of Metro Line 6 has been directed to pay a Rs 1.3 crore fine, another contractor who breached a water tunnel in Thane in 2022 will be dragged to court over unpaid fines amounting to Rs 75 crore.

The BMC has decided to start legal action against a Thane-based builder who punctured the water tunnel in Thane and has not paid Rs 75 crore in fines. We will also consider not granting a water connection to Metro Line 6 if the contractor, who broke the Veravali water pipeline at Andheri SEEPZ, does not pay the fine," a BMC official said. The contractor of Metro Line 6 has been fined Rs 1.3 crore.

BMC supplied 5 million litres of water via tankers to Andheri East while the Veravali pipeline was being repaired. File pic

The contractor for the Metro Line 6 breached the Veravali main pipeline at SEEPZ, Andheri East on November 30. This stopped the water supply in most of Andheri East for four days. According to the BMC, the contractor was served a notice on December 5. "We have given the Metro Line 6 contractor seven days to pay the fine," said hydraulic engineer Purushotam Malvade.

‘No new connection'

A BMC official who did not wish to be identified told mid-day that a provision in the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act, 1888, prohibits water supply to newly completed projects if their contractors don't pay dues. "If the contractor does not pay his dues, we cannot allow a new water connection to the completed Metro 6 project," the official said.

The BMC supplied around five million litres of water to Andheri East via tankers while the Veravali pipeline was being repaired over five days. Private tankers supplied nearly 10 million litres of water during that time.

Illegal borewell

Meanwhile, in the incident at Thane, the private builder punctured the water tunnel on November 8, 2022, while digging a borewell at the proposed IT park at plot number C-30, road number 16, in Wagle Industrial Area. The water tunnel was located 100 m below the ground level. Furthermore, the punctured tunnel led to the loss of 650 million litres of water between November 8, 2022, and April 22, 2023.

On March 31, mid-day was the first to report that the borewell dug by the developer was illegal. The damage to the water pipeline led to over 10 days of water cuts in April. The civic body issued the Rs 75 crore fine against the builder in June.

The BMC has still not received the fine amount from the builder. Malvade said, "We have started the administrative procedure to initiate legal action. More developments in the matter shall follow soon."

1.3cr
Fine (in rupees) levied on Metro Line 6 contractor