The Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (MMRDA) has been tagged as not only the Number One offender by the BMC when it comes to damaging the underground utilities, but also one that does not pay its dues. The reason: even after sending three bills amounting to over Rs 13 lakh this year alone for breaking water pipelines, the MMRDA has not paid a single bill.

Early this month, MMRDA damaged pipelines twice at Lalbaug while undertaking the construction of the flyover. “So far we have been able to access the damage to one pipeline and have accordingly sent the bill to MMRDA asking them to make the payment,” said deputy municipal commissioner (water supply) Pramod Charankar. The bill amounts to Rs 10 lakh. Four months ago, the BMC had issued two separate bills of Rs 1.5 lakh each to MMRDA for two damaged pipelines at King Circle.

It is now in the process of sending a second bill, estimated to be around Rs 4 lakh, for the second damage at Laubaug by MMRDA at the same spot a few days later.

However, civic officials from the Hydraullic Engineer (HE) department said they have no hopes of recovering any amount from MMRDA. “Apart from the Lalbaug incident, MMRDA had also damaged pipelines at King Circle on two occasions. We had issued two separate notices amounting to Rs 1.5 lakh each four months back, but are yet to receive any response,” an official in charge of the water pipelines maintenance said.

... contd.