Parel pipeline burst leaves Sion-Lalbaug low and dry

MUMBAI: People living between Sion and Lalbaug faced much hardship as taps ran dry on Friday. This was due to a damaged pipeline near Parel flyover that supplies water in the area. The civic body's estimated time to repair the pipeline went awry due to which water supply was disrupted for eight hours.
Dadar resident Shilpa Jain says she had to pack her kids off to school without a bath."There was no prior intimation that water supply would be hit. The water tank in my house was down to less than half its capacity," said Jain who could not cook and had to order from outside.
The Sion-Lalbaug area gets water supply from the main pipeline from 4am to 10am. The pipleine burst was detected around 6am on Thursday. The BMC estimated it would finish repairs before 4am on Friday, but work wrapped up by 12.30 pm-8 hours late. As a special case, water was supplied from 12.30pm to 2.30pm on Friday. Areas affected were Dadar, Parel, Currey Road, Kalachowki, Sewri, Cotton Green, Chunabhatti, Sion and Wadala.
At a building in Sion, the problem got worse as its water pump had broken down and there had been no supply since Thursday. "We didn't have a drop to drink," said a resident.
BMC engineers said lack of clarity about the problem led to the delay in restoring supply. An engineer said the delay was because the pipeline was "badly damaged". "And we faced technical difficulty," he said.
A Parel resident, Himmat Singh, said it was a "blessing" that there was no water during the early hours of the day.