Inquiry committee set up to probe Pune canal wall breach

An inquiry has been initiated into the breach of a part of the wall of the Mutha Right-bank Canal, Maharashtra Water Resources and Irrigation Minister Girish Mahajan said Friday.

The wall breach, which happened Thursday afternoon, had inundated nearby areas and affected over 200 families living in the slums near Dandekar Bridge, Pune Municipal Corporation officials had said.

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

Mahajan Friday said that the inquiry committee would be headed by T N Munde, chief engineer, water resources, and would submit its report in two to three days.

Mahajan said Irrigation department officials had told him that rats and other rodents possibly weakened the wall's foundation by burrowing beneath it.

The minister added that encroachments along the canal were also affecting the safety of the structure.

"We will have to take stringent steps to remove the encroachments along the canal. The Pune Municipal Corporation should help in removing them," he said, adding that there were plans to take the canal underground.