PUNE: Poor maintenance of the Mutha right bank canal by the irrigation department is draining out tons of litres of water every day but Pune Municipal Corporation takes the blame for drawing more water from the four reservoirs that supply water to the city.The canal, built by the British, has developed cracks along its walls which have not been plugged. The seepages are visible at many locations. The canal cuts through the city and local residents say there is no control over the water leaking from the cracks.The canal begins at the Khadakwasla dam, goes across the city and further towards Phursungi . It is a crucial facility to meet the water requirements of the city and the rural areas. Civic activists have said despite being a crucial facility the canal has remained neglected for years and it has not undergone repairs.Vishal Bhokre, a resident of Janata Vasahat , said there has been complete neglect of repairs to the canal. “People swim in its water, wash their vehicles and draw water for domestic work from the canal. There is no security along the canal, either. In fact, access to the water is very easy. The walls on both sides are broken at many places leading to leakage through the gaps. Neither is the civic administration nor is the irrigation department serious about its maintenance,” he said.As per the estimates, there is 40% water loss in Pune’s water supply system which includes inefficient supply of water within the city and loss of water due to canal leakages.Vivek Velankar of Sajag Nagarik Manch said, “The irrigation department has been negligent about curbing the water loss from the canal. For many years, the canal has not been repaired. There is no monitoring on water use which is also leading to water theft. There is no audit of how much water is flowing into the canal and the quantity of water being utilized by the city and the rural parts. The irrigation department needs to conduct a detailed audit of the annual water supply,” he said.Sources in Pune Municipal Corporation said maintenance of the canal was the responsibility of the irrigation department though the canal goes through the city limits. The canal and the land along the canal which belongs to the irrigation department should be looked after by the department, they added.Officials in the irrigation department said they have planned repairs of the canal but major repairs can be taken up only when the canal is completely empty.“We have conducted repairs from the outside to plug leakages. However to conduct internal repairs of the wall, we will need more time,” Pandurang Shelar, executive engineer of Khadakwasla irrigation circle, said.Meanwhile, sources in the department said they do not have statistical data pertaining to water losses due to canal leakages.

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