200 families affected as canal wall develops breach in Pune

Around 200 families were affected after a part of the wall of the Mutha Right-bank Canal developed a breach Thursday morning, inundating nearby areas.

While no casualties were reported, several people were shifted to nearby government schools.

According to the Disaster Management Cell (DMC) of the Pune Municipal Corporation, around 200 houses in the slums near Dandekar Bridge were affected as water gushed into houses and washed away people's belongings.

There was panic in the area. Some residents claimed that their vehicles were damaged due to the sudden flooding.

The canal carries water from the Khadakwasla dam near Pune to Indapur and Daund tehsils. It also provides water to some parts of the city.

"We are still surveying how many households have been affected. The affected residents have been put up in three schools and meals have been arranged for them," said Ganesh Sonune, head of the DMC.

Irrigation department officials have started the repair work.

"We have stopped water discharge from the Khadakwasla dam completely. However, the distance between the dam and the breach in the wall is around 12 km, and water (released earlier) is still flowing. Once it goes out completely, the repair work will be completed," he said.

Safety of the canal gets compromised due to the encroachments along the wall, he said.

"Since water is flowing down the canal all the time, we get very little time to do the repair work, but still inspection is carried out periodically," he said.

Another official of the irrigation department said it is suspected that rats and other rodents may have weakened the foundation of the wall by burrowing.

Water supply to some areas in the city will remain affected for the next two days due to the repair work, he said.