From Sunday, normal supply as water tunnel fixed: BMC

MUMBAI: Water supply to the city is expected to be restored to normal by Sunday with the BMC claiming to have completed the repairs to the water supply tunnel that was damaged.
After the 15km water tunnel of 5,500mm diameter between Balkum and Bhandup water treatment complex was damaged during drilling of a borewell at Wagle Estate in Thane, the BMC shut it on March 31 for carrying out work to plug the leakage, and a 15% water cut was announced across the city for 30 days, starting March 31. For more than two weeks, Mumbaikars complained about water scarcity and several housing societies had to depend on water tankers.
BMC officials said the repair work has been completed in 18 days, instead of the 30 days initially announced. "It will be a great relief for citizens, as housing societies were spending a lot of money on water tankers. Though the BMC provided tankers, they were insufficient. Housing societies were shelling out Rs 3,000-4,000 per tanker. The BMC should restore pressure as soon as possible and also give some relief in the water bills," said former corporator Asif Zakaria.
The tunnel carries 2,000-2,200 million litres of water daily. According to BMC officials, the task of repairing the tunnel and de-watering it was a challenge, as it is 100-125m deep underground and the spot where it was damaged was located about 4.2km away from the shaft of the Bhandup water treatment complex. The hydraulic engineering department dewatered the tunnel and diverted the water to the Bhandup complex through old water lines.
After taking into consideration that additional water is required for re-commissioning the tunnel, while maintaining the present supply in BMC areas, officials estimated that it would take three to four days to ensure that the tunnel starts functioning to its full capacity.