Mhow: Amid an acute water shortage in the city caused by an exceptionally dry spell and depleting groundwater levels, millions of gallons of Narmada water are wasted every summer due to leakages in pipelines. The primary reason is ageing infrastructure that cries out for proper maintenance.
Experts Highlight Systemic Issues
Ajay Gupta, a retired public health engineering official who was in charge of the Narmada project pipeline between Indore and Mhow, stated, "Many sections of the Narmada pipelines, which were laid decades ago across different phases, have deteriorated due to corrosion, soil movement, and constant high pressure, causing leakages." He added that poor maintenance, construction defects, third-party damage during road work, and inadequate monitoring have exacerbated the problem.
Residents are being urged to save water and install rainwater harvesting systems, but millions of gallons of Narmada water are lost before reaching homes, and the number of leakage incidents is not declining.
Recent Pipeline Burst Highlights Vulnerabilities
On Thursday, a Narmada Phase-3 pipeline burst due to a small leakage near the periphery of Garrison ground in Mhow. The pipeline was repaired during late-night hours, but residents of Indore, Mhow, Rau, and Rajendra Nagar grappled with water shortage the following day. The leakage occurred due to chipping off of welding on a joint. This pipeline was comparatively new, yet a leak still happened, raising serious concerns about older pipelines.
The burst was the latest in a series of at least half a dozen recent breaches and leaks along the same pipeline carrying water from Jalood in Mandleshwar to Indore. Recently, a burst near Bherughat on the Indore-Khandwa road occurred, highlighting what experts and officials describe as systemic vulnerabilities.
Impact on Residents
As millions of gallons of Narmada water gush out unused on roads and fields due to leakages, residents in affected colonies endure long queues for tankers and severe shortages, worsening daily hardships in one of India's fastest-growing urban centres.
A 55-year-old resident, Ravi Mehroliya, whose house is about 100 metres from where the pipeline burst recently, told TOI that he saw water oozing out of a crack in the joint while walking his dog. He informed PHE officials, but no one turned up for repairs.
When contacted, the present in-charge of the project, Jimmy Robert, said, "Nobody informed us. Our patrolling team reported the leakage three days before the burst occurred. We had a plan to repair it, but we needed a shutdown of water pumping from Jalood. Because of summers, we were not getting permission for a shutdown, and the pipeline burst."
