Nashik to have no water supply citywide on October 24 for Gangapur pipeline test

Residents of Nashik will have to store water in advance for October 24. Water supply will remain completely shut across Nashik city that day. The Nashik Municipal Corporation has appealed to citizens to store water properly and cooperate.

The reason is the new direct water pipeline being laid from Gangapur to Barabungalow. The work, taken up with 15th Finance Commission funds, has now reached its final stage. The administration has drawn up a plan to test the first phase of the pipeline, and it is because of this test that the city's water supply will have to be shut on October 24.

An old cement direct pipeline was laid between the Gangapur dam and the Barabungalow water purification centre in 2003. It kept breaking down repeatedly. To end the problem for good, the civic body took up the work of laying a new iron direct pipeline. The work is being done through the company Jindal (JWL).

However, the work was not completed in the stipulated time. The civic body therefore took a tough stand and began penalty action against the contractor from May 1. A penalty of Rs 1 lakh a day was imposed at first and later Rs 2.5 lakh a day. The contractor has now been given a final ultimatum to complete the work by October 31.

The project is 12.5 km long in all, of which 12.35 km has been completed. A little work remains. It includes the cross connection near the Barabungalow water purification centre and the joining of the gravity main line at Panchavati.

Even so, the civic body has decided to test the portion that has been completed. On October 24, the 8.5 km first-phase pipeline from the Gangapur dam to Pipeline Road will be tested. This is a technical test, and as a safety measure the supply to the entire city will have to be shut for one day.

The administration plans to test the second phase after Diwali. The administration says every care is being taken to ensure that Nashik residents do not face a water shortage during the festival days.

Once both phases are tested successfully, the city will begin to get smooth water supply through the new direct pipeline. It is hoped that this will resolve the long-standing problem of leakage and low-pressure supply, and that Nashik residents will get clean water at higher pressure.