Authorities use Mughal-era siphon tech for adequate supply to Sambhajinagar

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: A major breakthrough claimed to have been achieved by the authorities in the water supply project for Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar with the successful commissioning of the siphon system.Inspired by the Nahar-e-Ambari, a 17th-century underground water supply system laid down by Mughal ruler Malik Ambar in 1612, the system has made water lifting possible without removing the cofferdam -- a temporary, watertight enclosure built in Jayakwadi dam as a part of the project."Since the pump house works are still pending, removal of the cofferdam is not feasible at the current stage. To address this challenge, siphon technology practised in Nahar-e-Ambari was adopted as an effective and reliable solution," chief engineer of Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran (MJP) Manisha Palande said.She added that the sophisticated water supply system developed during the Mughal era remains a proud symbol of the city's historic engineering excellence."The present siphon system adds a new chapter to that legacy by combining heritage with modern hydraulic engineering. This intervention has now opened the path for water availability and is expected to accelerate the remaining works of the scheme," Palande said.According to MJP authorities, the siphon arrangement works under gravity and does not require power. It is one of the oldest and most trusted techniques in water engineering, with references dating back to ancient Egypt."The siphon model developed under the scheme for Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar is regarded as one of the significant large-scale applications of its kind in the state. Without this intervention, water lifting and related works could have been delayed by at least another year," Palande said.Similar siphon technology has earlier been used successfully at the Tata Bhilai Plant and in the Mahabaleshwar water supply scheme, demonstrating its field-tested reliability and proven performance, the authorities said.While the Rs2,740 crore water supply project has already missed the original deadline of March 2024, the MJP authorities said efforts were on to push the project on different fronts.On being asked about the availability of tap water supply for the no-network area of Satara-Deolai where a considerable chunk of the city's population resides, Palande said, "Out of a total 55 km of internal pipeline, 45 km has been laid so far. The remaining work will be expedited and water will be made available once different components of the water supply project get over," she said.