KMC on edge as Ballygunge pipe leaks yet again, damages road
Times of India | 29 January 2026
Kolkata: Repeated cracks in a 50-year-old water pipeline have kept Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) engineers on edge, with frequent leaks causing the surface of Gariahat Road to cave in at several points, triggering traffic snarls and occasional accidents.
KMC's water supply department was first alerted about the problem three years ago when a major portion of Gariahat Road near ITI collapsed following a leak in the underground pipeline. Although engineers promptly repaired the damaged section, the road at the same spot has been affected at least six times over the past three years. In recent months, a 34-inch pipeline has been breached at least thrice.
"The road is badly damaged and needs immediate intervention. But unless the underground water pipe is permanently repaired, road restoration cannot be taken up," said an official of the KMC roads department.
Officials of the civic body's water supply department said repair work would begin by Saturday after consultations with traffic police. "We are equally troubled by the repeated failures of this pipeline. It is a crucial supply line for several south Kolkata neighbourhoods, including Ballygunge and Gariahat, and therefore requires constant monitoring," a KMC official said.
According to a KMC official, the concrete pipe was laid in the mid-1970s by KMDA to supply potable water to several south Kolkata zones. "The pipe not only grew old but has become vulnerable. We need to conduct a thorough check of the condition of the pipeline," said a KMC water supply department official.
The major thoroughfare near Ballygunge Phari has been badly damaged, frequently bringing traffic to a standstill during peak hours. Water seepage from a breached underground pipeline has led to the formation of multiple potholes, further weakening the road surface.
A KMC roads department official said comprehensive repairs would be taken up only after the water supply department fixes the cracked pipeline. "We have sent an SOS to the water supply department, urging an urgent repair of the underground line so that road restoration can begin at the earliest," the official said.
On Friday, a KMC water supply department official said discussions were underway with police to finalise a detailed repair plan. "Gariahat Road is a busy arterial stretch, and we need to coordinate closely with traffic police before proceeding," the official added.