Water supply crisis in Bhopal due to repeated pipeline damage:Municipal Corporation demands ₹19.49 lakh from NHAI for losses

Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) has demanded ₹19.49 lakh from the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI). This amount has been claimed due to repeated damage to pipelines and the resulting drinking water crisis. The corporation has stated that the pipelines are being damaged because of NHAI’s activities, and has requested compensation for the losses. Letter Sent After Commissioner’s Approval The Chief Engineer of BMC’s Water Works Department, with the approval of Commissioner Sanskriti Jain, wrote a letter on Monday to the Project Director of NHAI. The letter stated that during road construction work, water supply pipelines are repeatedly being damaged. This has disrupted water supply and caused financial losses to the corporation. Ayodhya Bypass Section Faces Maximum Problems The letter mentions that on the Ayodhya Bypass route, the firm contracted by NHAI (RIPL) is working negligently. The damaged pipeline was instructed to be replaced, but on April 1, near Damkheda, the 500 mm diameter feeder main was damaged again. Similarly, near Sagar Landmark, a 110 mm line, and near People’s Hospital, a 355 mm HDPE water supply pipeline were damaged. Millions of Litres of Water Wasted Due to the damage to these pipelines, millions of litres of water were wasted. The letter also highlights the financial losses BMC incurred due to the damage to the drinking water pipelines. Maintaining and repairing these pipelines will impose an economic burden of approximately ₹19,49,400 on the corporation. The letter has requested that this amount be mandatorily deposited into the municipal fund.