Gurgaon: A leakage in a master water pipeline near Sector 88 disrupted water supply to several residential societies in the new sectors along Dwarka Expressway. The damaged pipeline originates from Chandu Budhera water treatment plant and supplies water to residential societies across sectors 81 to 99 and Sector 37. According to GMDA, the leakage was detected on Monday evening. The leakage was caused after a joint in the pipeline came apart due to temperature-related shrinkage, officials said.Repair work at the site began around 4pm and was initially expected to be completed by 4am on Tuesday. However, rainfall in the morning led to water accumulation at the excavation site, delaying repairs.“The leakage occurred due to shrinkage in the 1,600mm-diameter master pipeline caused by temperature variation. Although manpower was deployed on Monday, rain resulted in waterlogging at the site, which hampered the repair work,” a GMDA official said.The official added that dewatering operations were underway to clear the accumulated water and allow safe access to the damaged section. “The pipeline is now expected to be repaired by Tuesday night, after which water supply to the affected sectors will be restored,” the official said.Residents said the disruption forced them to depend on groundwater to meet daily requirements. “There was no water supply on Tuesday, forcing us to rely on borewells to meet daily requirements. However, the groundwater has a high TDS level and is not suitable for regular use,” said the RWA president of Rising Homes. He added that such disruptions have become frequent and raised concerns over pipeline maintenance. “If this is the situation in winter, when water demand is relatively low, one can only imagine the scenario during the summer months,” he said.This was the third instance of damage to a master water pipeline in recent weeks. Last week too, a shrinkage in a 1,600mm pipeline caused a joint to come apart near Subhash Chowk, disrupting traffic on Sohna Road. The leak was repaired within 11 hours.Earlier this month, a similar leak in a master pipeline at the Chandu Budhera water treatment plant disrupted water supply in several parts of the city, with repairs taking nearly five days.“These large-diameter mild steel pipelines are laid in horizontal stretches and connected through joints. Temperature variations cause contraction, which puts stress on the joints and can sometimes lead to leakage,” the official explained.
