Pipe burst floods Laxmi Nagar

Parts of Laxmi Nagar in East Delhi were flooded when a large underground pipe carrying water from the Bhagirathi water treatment plant burst open causing water to enter the basement of a nearby shopping complex.

Parts of Laxmi Nagar in East Delhi were flooded when a large underground pipe carrying water from the Bhagirathi water treatment plant burst open causing water to enter the basement of a nearby shopping complex and spill on to the streets adjacent to Vikas Marg on Sunday afternoon.

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It was the tail-end part of a 1.2-diameter pipeline bringing water to most parts of East Delhi that suffered the breach, informed Delhi Jal Board (DJB). “It was an old pipeline. That's why it must have broken open. But we are still ascertaining the reason behind the fault. But the damage was controlled within an hour,” said R.K. Garg, Member (Water works), DJB.

Around 200 shops were affected and even the entire two-lane road from Laxmi Nagar crossing till School Block, Shakarpur, was flooded, causing traffic snarls.

“The flow of water was so strong that the water entered our shops and basements of at least five shops got completely submerged in water. Goods worth lakhs were damaged. Water also entered some ground floor shops,” said Sunil Kumar, a trader.

Mayor Arti Mehra, who visited the spot around 2 pm, blamed the Delhi government for the trouble. “(When I reached there) nobody from the Delhi government, not even the Fire department people had come. I tried calling (Chief Minister) Shiela Dikshit but she did not pick up the phone.”

The Mayor said finally the people from Engineering Department of the MCD deployed suction pump and cleared the shops. The DJB said after the pipe broke at 12.30 pm, water was minimised within an hour.

“Repair work will be on through night,” Garg added.