A Vadodara locality went without water for 3 days. Probe leads to a ‘disgruntled’ engineer, an ‘unknown’ underground valve
In a complaint submitted to the police, the Vadodara Municipal Corporation said the accused Deputy Executive Engineer allegedly shut down the underground valve to “tarnish the image of the Water Supply department”
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Vasava (the engineer) was transferred earlier this year following several complaints by elected representatives that he was not looking into water issues being faced by the residents (Created using ChatGPT)A week ago, around 30,000 residents of Vadodara’s North Zone found that their water supply had been cut off. The problem lasted for three days with officials of the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) scrambling to find out its source even as residents continued to suffer. Finally, they achieved a breakthrough in the form of an “unknown” underground water valve that was found to be switched off. The moment the valve was turned on, water supply was restored.
Now the questions: When was this valve installed? Why was it not common knowledge? And, most importantly, who turned it off and why?
Probe led the authorities to one its own engineers who was allegedly disgruntled after his recent transfer from the Water Supply department.
VMC said that the accused Deputy Executive Engineer allegedly cut off the underground valve to purportedly “tarnish the image of the Water Supply department and cause distress”.
The civic body has now filed a complaint in the matter.
According to the complaint submitted by the VMC to Fatehgunj police station, Yogesh Vasava, a Deputy Executive Engineer, currently attached to the Road Project department, has been accused of conniving with a labour supervisor and a contractual driver of the Department’s JCB excavator machine to “close an underground valve of the main water supply line”.
In a complaint submitted on August 28 to the Police Inspector of Fatehgunj police station of Vadodara city, where the alleged incident occurred starting August 23, the current Deputy Executive Engineer of the Water Supply Department of the North Zone of the VMC, Alok Shah, has stated that the civic body officials discovered the “mala fide act” after examining CCTV footage of the spot.
Following the floods in Vadodara city last year, Vasava had allegedly installed an underground valve during his tenure at the department.
The North Zone includes Chhani, Sama, Navayard, Fatehgunj, Harni, and Karelibaug areas.
The complaint stated, “The main water supply line of the VMC for the area travels from Chhani to Navayard and passes through the Kalasvanala near Navayard junction. It was unknown to us (the department) that following heavy rainfall and flooding last year, an underground valve was fixed to resolve some issues in the area… On August 23, the VMC received complaints from residents and elected representatives that water had not been supplied in the area. Accordingly, the officers of the Water department of North zone visited the area to inspect any possible faults and checked the various junctions of the network. However, no fault was found and the water supply remained closed for three days in the area…”
The complaint further stated that on learning about the underground valve fitted by the previous officer in-charge and the workers of the department, a team of the water supply officers went to the spot and found that it had been recently dug up and layered again. “When checked, the underground valve was found to be in a turned-off position. When the valve was turned on, the water supply was restored in the area… As the department inquired into the incident, it was found that the valve had been turned off in an unauthorised manner…” according to the complaint.
“On checking the CCTV camera of the VMC in the area, Gunvant Solanki (contract driver of JCB excavator of VMC) was seen using a VMC-owned JCB excavator machine without authorisation to dig open the underground valve. Sanjay Mali (labour supervisor) was in constant touch with Vasava to carry out the instructions to shut the valve and disrupt water supply in the area,” the complaint alleged.
Shah said in the complaint: “The accused had been serving in the post that I am now positioned in. He was transferred recently. With an intent to tarnish the image of the department and to cause mental stress to the officers, Vasava connived and conspired to cut off water supply to the entire area … Despite knowing that indulging in such an unauthorised act without any convincing reason can cause loss of public property and wastage of water while also causing distress and difficulty to citizens, the accused colluded with one another to use property of the VMC for their mala fide actions.”
While Fatehgunj Police Inspector AM Gadhvi confirmed that a police investigation had been initiated based on the VMC’s complaint, the civic body has also written to the General Administration Department (GAD) of the state government to initiate departmental inquiry against Vasava.
Head of Department and Executive Engineer (Water Works), In-charge Additional City Engineer (Drainage Project and Sewage works) and Executive Engineer (Road Projects), Dharmik Dave, told The Indian Express, “We have written to GAD for a departmental inquiry in the matter.”
Vasava was transferred earlier this year following several complaints by elected representatives that he was not looking into water issues being faced by the residents. The transfer, though, was part of a regular reshuffle, Dave clarified.
Vasava could not be contacted despite requests for comment.
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