Water mafia destroys pipeline in Sec 61 for third time in two weeks

The city’s tanker mafia allegedly damaged a water pipeline near the Pioneer Park residential society at Sector 61 on Saturday evening—the third such incident in the area in the past two weeks.

A Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) official said that the gate valve of the high pressure water pipeline was damaged using a JCB machine by miscreants, which resulted in a leak for over an hour and treated water from the Chandu Budhera water treatment plant was wasted.

The damage in the pipeline disrupted the canal water supply to Pioneer Park society on Saturday evening and Sunday morning as well.

According to residents, the miscreants who are believed to be behind these acts of sabotage are in the tanker water supplying business and do not want the GMDA to supply piped canal water to the residents living in the newly developed residential societies in sectors 58-67. “We will take strict action in this regard. Discussions are underway to secure our lines,” Rajesh Bansal, superintending engineer, GMDA, said.

Miscreants had earlier damaged the GMDA’s water pipeline on May 3 and 5 at the same place. On February 19, two persons had damaged the canal water pipeline of ATS Kocoon, Sector 109, and forced the society management to buy water from their tankers.

Lalit Arora, chief engineer, GMDA, said, “We are meeting police commissioner Muhammad Akil on Tuesday, as we need night patrolling of our water pipeline. All these cases took place after sunset.We had been mulling engaging a private security agency for night patrolling, but that is a lengthy process. We need to check these acts urgently, that is why we seek police help.”

Pioneer Park residents are unhappy with the district administration and the GMDA for not fixing the problem of tanker water mafia menace.

Sudhir Krishna, resident, Pioneer Park, said, “We will write to the police commissioner, since this is matter of law and order. Miscreants cannot sabotage government property, interrupting our water supply this way.”

The GMDA started canal water supply for sectors 58-67 from May 1. GMDA water costs are nominal —₹9.45 per kilolitre — while water tankers charge between ₹15 to ₹17 per kilolitre, making the mafia neat profits before the pipeline was laid.

Muhammad Akil, police commissioner, said, “No one is supposed to sabotage water pipelines. I will definitely look into the matter.”

First Published: May 14, 2019 03:08 IST