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.

The two authorities have been at loggerheads over various infrastructure projects in the city. After being at war over maintenance and management of 18 major road corridors in the city - which has now been handed over to the BMC, the two warring agencies began disputing this month over ill management of city drains and water logging issues.

MMRDA had charged BMC with lacking organisational etiquette and of bringing differences between the two organisations through the media. It issued a press note stating that it resents the manner in which the civic administration was handling the issue, after civic officials said it will recover fine for the Lalbaug pipeline damage from the authority. However, civic officials said MMRDA instead of resenting BMC’s attitude should first pay the bills. “Forget payment of bills, MMRDA has not even acknowledged the receipt of our letters,” said a senior official from the HE department. “Everytime there is damage to pipelines, we spend on additional manpower and machinery,” the officer said.

Municipal Commissioner Jairaj Phatak had said that recovering fine from the party which damages pipelines was routine. “If anyone has caused damage, they have to pay,” he had said after the Lalbaug incident.

When contacted, Transport and Communication chief (MMRDA) P R K Murthy said that he would not like to comment on the issue. “I haven’t seen the bills,” he said.