A major pipeline failure on Monday has thrown Gandhinagar's flagship 24x7 water supply project into disarray, flooding key roads and exposing alleged lapses in infrastructure quality. The incident occurred near the Mahatma Mandir on 'Kh' Road, causing significant water loss and public outrage.
Project Pipeline Rupture Creates Urban Stream
The rupture in the newly installed pipeline unleashed a powerful flow of water, rapidly inundating the surrounding area. The force of the burst turned the road into what local residents described as a temporary "stream," disrupting traffic and creating a spectacle that stood in stark contrast to the government's water conservation initiatives. The project, aimed at providing continuous water to Sectors 1 through 30 of the capital city, carries an estimated cost exceeding Rs 250 crore.
Citizen Groups Had Flagged Quality Issues
This incident has validated long-standing concerns raised by citizen bodies. The Gandhinagar Vasahat Mahasangh revealed that they had repeatedly warned authorities about subpar workmanship. The group had written to the Capital Projects Division of the state's roads and buildings department, highlighting the "poor quality of the new infrastructure." According to the Mahasangh, these warnings were ignored.
"The spectacle clearly did not align with the government's 'Save Water' campaign," stated Kesharisinh Bihola, president of the Mahasangh. He emphasized that the event has severely shaken public confidence in the ambitious Smart City scheme.
Lowered Expectations and Prolonged Repair Struggle
In the wake of the failure, resident expectations have dramatically scaled down. Instead of the promised round-the-clock supply, the community's demand has shifted to a basic, reliable three-hour morning supply with adequate pressure. This highlights a profound loss of trust in the project's deliverables.
Following the burst, emergency teams from the Capital Projects Division and the Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation (GMC) rushed to the site. However, officials reportedly faced technical difficulties, struggling for several hours to isolate the damaged section of the pipeline. This delay resulted in prolonged and unnecessary water loss, further exacerbating the situation.
The pipeline burst raises critical questions about material quality, oversight, and contractor accountability in large-scale urban utility projects. It underscores a gap between smart city promises and on-ground execution, leaving residents to deal with the consequences of infrastructural failure.
