Two kids drown after pipeline bursts

Mumbai: Two children, including an eight-month-old boy, drowned after a 72-inch water pipeline burst at the Indira Nagar slums in Bandra on Friday morning. The rupture created a flood-like situation, damaging nearly 50 hutments.

According to officials of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), nine-year-old Priyanka Doiphode and her eight-month-old brother Vignesh were playing near the pipeline, which suddenly burst around 10.50 am. The water pressure was so extreme that both the children were killed on the spot.

Vignesh was rushed to Bhabha Hospital, but was declared dead on arrival. Priyanka was taken to VN Desai hospital where she too was declared brought dead. The mother and grandmother of the two children have suffered minor injuries.

The pipeline burst caused a loss of about 4-5 lakh litres of water. Civic officials and fire brigade personnel said they had started relief and restoration work immediately.  “As soon as we were informed of burst, the valve of the pipe was turned off and repair works were undertaken,” said a civic official.

Vignesh and Priyanka Doiphode

“The two children would regularly play around the pipeline. The family had moved into the area barely a few days ago,” said the neighbour of Doiphode family.

BMC officials said they are trying to determine what exactly led to the rupture.

“We have sought a report from the hydraulic department as to what caused the pipeline burst. The pipeline was very old, and it might have got ruptured due to excessive water pressure,” said additional municipal commissioner Sanjay Mukherjee.

Alka Sasane, assistant municipal commissioner of H-East ward, said that the BMC had asked slum dwellers to vacate the space as it was near the pipeline.

In 2009, the high court had directed the BMC to remove the slums and keep a 10-metre buffer zone around pipelines.