Water supply uncertain

PUNE, April 27: Uncertainty prevails over restoring normal water supply to Pune Cantonment areas even as the repairs to the Mutha right bank...

PUNE, April 27: Uncertainty prevails over restoring normal water supply to Pune Cantonment areas even as the repairs to the Mutha right bank canal, which had breached yesterday, have been nearly completed.

A huge excavator which was used by the State Irrigation Department to desilt the canal bed has got stuck in the canal. Though two cranes were pressed this evening to lift the excavator, the irrigation staff was not able to remove the huge machine till the time of going to the press.

Talking to newspersons, chief of the Pune Municipal Corporation PMC water supply department Ramesh Ghodke said that the PMC and the irrigation department were exploring the possibility of discharging at least 300 cusecs of raw water in the canal even as the excavator was not removed.

Ghodke said that the excavator costs over 60 lakh and it was being feared that the machine would get damaged if 400 cusecs of water, the normal discharge from the Khadakwasla dam in the canal, was discharged.

Following the breach in the canal, behind the Meera Housing Society, off Shankarsheth Road, water supply from the Pune Cantonment Water works and Parvati Water works had been severely disrupted since yesterday morning.

The repairs work were undertaken on a war-footing and the breached canal wall was reconstructed this morning. However, while the wall was being reconstructed the irrigation department had pressed in an excavator to desilt the canal bed and it got stuck.

The PMC was able to restore normalcy in supply to the city areas, being supplied water from the Parvati water works, with 200 cusecs of raw water discharged in the canal. However, taps ran dry in Yerwada, Hadapsar, Vishrantwadi and all other areas being supplied water from the cantonment water works due to non-availability of raw water.

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The PMC and the State Government pressed 40 water tankers to supply water to these areas. The tanker service would continue tomorrow if the PMC failed to restore tap water supply, Ghodke said. He, was, however hopeful that the excavator would be removed by tonight and enough raw water would be made available by the State Irrigation Department at the cantonment water works.

Jha effects reshuffle
In a major reshuffle, outgoing Pune Municipal Commissioner Ramanath Jha has transferred several senior civic officers including the civic anti encroachment chief Dinkar Kamble and the Municipal secretary Hanmant Chavan.

Jha also cleared the application by the slum department chief K D Marathe seeking voluntary retirement from the PMC services. According to reliable sources the officers themselves had requested Jha for a transfer.

Kamble has been transferred as the deputy city engineer roads while Chavan will take over as the accessor and collector of taxes.

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To the question as to whether the officershad sought for the transfer and voluntary retirement fearing that the elected members might trouble them after Jha hands over the charge to the new commissioner, Jha answered in negative saying 8220; such fear is unwarranted as the new commissioner would also protect all those who are honest and sincere.8221;