Aurangabad: The civic body has admitted on paper that both water pipelines fetching water from Jayakwadi dam for Aurangabad have become outdated and are operating well below the desired efficiency.Replying to an official query seeking current status of water supply schemes to the city, Aurangabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has stated on record that the old pipeline commissioned in 1975-76 with a designed capacity of 56 millon-litre has been operating below 50% efficiency, while the relatively new pipeline installed 1991-92 with a capacity of 100 million-litre has also suffered wear and tear to the extent of reducing its thickness at some places.Local corporator and former Shiv Sena group leader in AMC Rajendra Janjal, who has obtained technical data related to two existing pipelines in the city, said that the water crisis looms large over Aurangabad due to the out-dated water schemes."Both water schemes possess potential threat of bursting any time given their poor technical conditions. These pipelines have deteriorated over years and cannot sustain water pressure to their designed capacity. Frequent water cuts observed due to leakages in main pipelines should be considered as warning sign of the looming danger that could pose unprecedented water crisis in the near future," Janjal said.As per the latest audit report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India, the loss of water due to leakages during distribution to the city is 42 million-litres per day (MLD), which accounts for almost one-fourth of total daily requirement. The CAG has already rapped the civic body for failing to achieve benchmarks for water supply and thereby depriving citizens of a basic need.Civic activist Vijay Diwan said that the city could not witness laying down of new pipeline in the past 12 years due to vested interests of politicians and bureaucrats."A new parallel water supply scheme was conceptualised way back in 2005 at the cost of only Rs 359 crore, of which the Centre and the state were ready to pay 80% and 10% of the amount, respectively. The local civic body, which is in the grip of certain political forces, chose not execute the scheme till 2009. It was later annexed with some additional works and handed over to private player not only for installation, but also for operation for 20 years. While the project cost escalated to Rs 792 crore due to delay, the major danger was privatising public water supply of Aurangabad," he said.Observing that even after a lapse of seven years, the AMC could not achieve a benchmark in water supply services and citizens were being deprived of this basic service, the CAG has suggested that the government may take effective action to complete the parallel water supply scheme.Local MP Chandrakant Khaire could not be reached for comments.Civic body officials said they were waiting for legal dispute between Aurangabad City Water Utility Company (ACUWCL) and AMC to get over before taking a call on new pipeline. "The dispute is pending before the apex court, and therefore we would prefer to wait for some more time. Necessary maintenance of both pipelines are being taken periodically to ensure smooth operations. We do not foresee imminent possibility of pipelines bursting," a civic official said.

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