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Canal wall repaired following breach that flooded Magarpatta Road
Deshmukh stated that due to the ageing infrastructure, seepage had developed in the canal embankment over time
A breach in the Khadakwasla canal’s retaining wall around 2:30 am on Monday flooded the Magarpatta area. The water flooded roads and the basements of nearby buildings forcing officials to close Magarpatta Road during the morning rush hour. While the flooding caught residents off guard, officials confirmed that repair work was completed by evening.
Kiran Deshmukh, executive engineer, state irrigation department, said, “The canal breach has been fully repaired, and water will not be released for the next four days as a precautionary measure.” The damaged portion is part of an old canal structure constructed in 1965, and the another adjoining section is also similarly aged, making the area vulnerable.
Deshmukh stated that due to the ageing infrastructure, seepage had developed in the canal embankment over time. The continuous seepage weakened the soil and internal structure of the bank. “Because the canal is a 1965 structure and there is another old stretch adjacent to it, seepage gradually occurred. This weakened the embankment, and the canal bank wall suddenly collapsed,” he said.
“Large stretches of the busy road were flooded after canal water suddenly spread across the area, slowing traffic and causing major inconvenience to daily commuters and office-goers,” said Sanjay Jambhulkar, a local resident.
Emergency teams, including officials from the civic disaster management department, rushed to the spot after receiving distress calls from residents. Police imposed traffic diversions in and around Hadapsar to ease congestion.
Himmat Jadhav, deputy commissioner of police (traffic), said, “Traffic diversion was implemented throughout the day and by evening the traffic was restored to normal.”
Mohan Bhadane, irrigation department official, said the breach led to a traffic jam that stretched up to two kilometres. “One side of the road was closed, while the other remained open for vehicles. The strong water flow posed a serious risk to children and motorists. The irrigation department also stopped water discharge from the canal.”
Satish Magar, chairman and managing director,Magarpatta City Development and Construction, said that the company deputed a 40-member team to assist authorities in carrying out the repair work at the canal site. He stated that the team worked in coordination with government officials and local agencies to help expedite restoration efforts. “We immediately sent a 40-member team to the canal site to support the authorities in repair operations and ensure the work was completed swiftly,” he said.
