Baner Water Pipeline Damage: PMC Restores Supply to Balewadi, Pashan; Mohannagar After 14 Hours
Pune, 19th September 2026: A 450-mm diameter Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) water transmission pipeline was damaged during underground gas pipeline work by Maharashtra Natural Gas Limited (MNGL) near Bitwise Tower on the Baner service road on Friday afternoon, resulting in a large quantity of water gushing onto the road.
The incident occurred at around 4 pm on September 18 while MNGL was carrying out underground utility work using the Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) method. According to the PMC Water Supply Department, the drilling machinery accidentally struck the municipal pipeline carrying water from Chandni Chowk to the Mohannagar Elevated Service Reservoir (ESR).
The pipeline was operating under pressure of approximately 7 bar, resulting in substantial water discharge following the rupture.
After receiving information about the incident, the PMC Water Supply Department immediately stopped pumping operations to limit water loss and prevent further flooding. Since the affected pipeline operates as a gravity line, officials had to wait for the internal pressure to reduce before isolating the damaged section.
PMC teams then operated the relevant valves and separated the damaged portion of the pipeline from the network.
Water supply restored in phases
Through valve switching and network reconfiguration, water supply to Balewadi, Baner and Pashan was restored within approximately two hours of the incident.
However, the line supplying the Mohannagar area required extensive repair work. PMC teams worked overnight to excavate the damaged section, secure the site and repair the 450-mm transmission pipeline.
After completing the repair, safety checks and the process of releasing water into the line, the water supply to Mohannagar was restored at around 8 pm on September 19, approximately 14 hours after the disruption.
PMC Additional Commissioner Pavneet Kaur said the civic administration responded immediately after receiving information about the pipeline damage and undertook restoration work on a priority basis.
“The water supply network was managed through immediate isolation and valve switching, allowing supply to Balewadi, Baner and Pashan to be restored quickly. The damaged section supplying Mohannagar required overnight repair, following which the line was brought back into operation after necessary safety checks,” Kaur said.
The PMC Water Supply Department said it regretted the temporary inconvenience caused to residents in the affected areas and thanked citizens for their patience and cooperation during the emergency repair work.
