Team Herald
PANJIM: The disruption caused by Smart City works continue unabated in the Capital. A couple of weeks after their digging led to a gas pipeline being cut in Bhatlem, disrupting lives of residents and commercial establishments, Smart City workers have now allegedly broken a water pipeline in Mala by dumping construction debris and leaving the area without water for four days.
The debris had been picked up from St Inez, where a reportedly unauthorised restaurant was demolished a few days ago. According to residents, this debris was then picked up and allegedly dumped by Smart City contractors in Mala, damaging the water pipeline and affecting the supply in Mala, Neugi Nagar, and Fontainhas.
They have expressed frustration over the prolonged disruption in water supply.
Jovito Lopes, a local, told O Heraldo, "We haven't had water for the last four days, and we don't know why. We’ve heard there's a leak in the pipeline, but it hasn’t been fixed even after we complained to the PWD." Another resident, Avinash Bhosle, voiced similar concerns. "We haven't received water for four days, and no one from the PWD is answering our calls," he said.
Finally after a three-day search, PWD officials finally identified the cause of the disruption. Workers involved in the repair explained that the debris, including materials from the recently demolished St. Inez restaurant, had been improperly dumped on top of the pipeline, causing it to break.
A worker, speaking anonymously, commented, "We don’t know why the debris was placed in this way. At the very least, it could have been flattened to reduce pressure on the pipe."
A PWD official confirmed that the pipeline had been repaired, and water supply was restored in the afternoon on Tuesday. "The repair work was completed around 4.30 pm, and water was released," he said, adding that it had been challenging to pinpoint the exact location of the damage.