INDORE: Thousands of litres of water were wasted in Indore on Sunday after a Narmada water supply pipeline burst in the city’s Shree Yantra Nagar area, worsening an already severe water shortage and disrupting supply to several households.
Residents said the pipeline was damaged during excavation work being carried out by a private company to lay another utility line. According to local accounts, drilling work late on Saturday night punctured both the Narmada water pipeline and an underground gas line. When water supply resumed on Sunday morning, water gushed onto nearby roads for nearly half an hour before officials shut off the supply.
The incident left several households without water, prompting fresh concerns over infrastructure management in a city already grappling with water scarcity.
Residents alleged that the excavation work was carried out without proper surveys of underground utilities and said the damage could have been avoided with better planning and coordination.
Many households in the area are dependent on private water tankers as borewells have dried up. Residents said tanker costs have increased significantly, adding to the burden on families already facing prolonged water shortages.
The excavation work also reportedly affected nearby electricity poles, raising safety concerns and prompting complaints to the power department.
The pipeline burst came amid growing anger over water supply issues across parts of Indore. Residents in another affected locality staged a protest outside a municipal water control office, alleging irregular supply and worsening shortages in recent weeks.
Repair work on the damaged pipeline began after residents alerted officials. Locals have urged authorities to conduct proper surveys of underground infrastructure before permitting excavation work to prevent similar incidents in the future.
