When the VVIP breezes in, just grin and bear it

PUNE, Feb 22: That the entire police machinery swings into action when a VVIP visits the city is passe. But what does one say when the mu...

PUNE, Feb 22: That the entire police machinery swings into action when a VVIP visits the city is passe. But what does one say when the municipal administration is forced to postpone immediate repair work and even hold back the crucial water supply, for over a week, simply to let the hi-fi dignitary use a prominent route for barely a couple of minutes !

The spot where the water pipeline burst was at Senapati Bapat Road – near Ratna memorial hospital. The route to be used by the Vice-President Krishna Kant, who was in the city from February 18-20 to attend various functions from Raj Bhavan, was Senapati Bapat Road. Not only did the commuters brave the “water spill” for eight days, but the PMC had to even resort to closing the water control valves as and when the VVIP decided to use the route.

Even as corporators Ramdas Pawar and others created ruckus over the issue at the Pune Municipal Corporation general body meeting today, additional city engineer (water supply) V G Dhadphale shrugged and said that they had received specific orders from the Police Commissioner’s office to refrain from carrying out any kind of repair work as the route had to be used by the Vice-President.

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While the PMC could not stop the leak in the water pipeline, the officials also had to close the valves to prevent the spilling on the road when the Vice-President was required to use the route. Residents at Gokhalenagar, Hanumantnagar, Shivaji Housing Society and other areas were slightly affected, Dhadphale admitted.

He however told media persons later that one of the problems associated with the widening of the road stretch was that the cement water pipeline which was earlier located at the roadside was now in the middle of the road. The traffic puts pressure on the cement pipeline causing it to burst, Dhadphale said adding that several areas where the road had been widened faced a similar problem.

“We had placed a proposal to replace the cement pipeline with that of a mild steel one from Balbharati to Vetal Baba chowk. The cost of replacing it approximated to Rs one crore. However, the proposal has been pending for three years now as the road department is required to make a budgetary provision for it,” he added.

Earlier, Shiv Sena corporator Mandakini Khule threatened to gherao the additional city engineer to protest against the water shortage at Survey Number 48, Chandannagar. Even after installing the public water tap, there is no water, Khule charged at the meet.