Pune, 17 June 2025: The Pune Municipal Corporation’s Water Supply Department has imposed a fine of ₹1 lakh on the contractor responsible for laying a major water pipeline under the Equal Water Supply Project in Dhayari, citing substandard road restoration and failure to repair a broken storm-water drain, which has now led to a large pothole and posed a risk of accidents.
According to an official letter issued by the Superintendent Engineer’s office (outward number 597 dated June 16, 2025), the contractor, operating under Package-6 of the project, had been tasked with developing a 450 mm diameter DI pipeline from the Vadgaon Water Purification Plant to the D.S.K. Tank. However, during pipeline laying near Savitri Garden, the existing storm-water line was damaged but was neither repaired nor properly restored despite repeated instructions from the civic body.
As per the correspondence, instead of fixing the broken drain, the contractor laid a makeshift, poor-quality road surface over it. This negligence resulted in a significant depression forming near the drain at Savitri Garden, creating hazardous driving conditions for commuters in the area.
Given the unsafe situation and disregard for guidelines, the Superintendent Engineer has approved the imposition of a penalty of ₹1 lakh. This amount will be recovered from the contractor’s upcoming payments for ongoing work under the Equal Water Supply Scheme.
The civic authorities have reiterated that any damage to stormwater or drainage lines during such infrastructure projects must be immediately repaired to avoid public inconvenience and safety hazards.
