The ambitious push to provide round-the-clock water supply in Gujarat's capital has hit a major roadblock, quite literally. Gandhinagar's streets are sinking in multiple locations, a direct consequence of underground leaks from the newly laid pipeline network of the 24/7 water supply pilot project. This infrastructural failure has also triggered a public health emergency, with cases of typhoid being reported, primarily among children.
Roads Give Way as Soil Erodes Underground
Fresh incidents of road collapses and cave-ins have been reported from several key areas across the city, pointing to a persistent and dangerous problem. The latest cave-ins occurred in Sector 24 near demolished flats, at Samarpan Circle (GH-4), and in Sector 27. Municipal officials have confirmed that the ground in these zones had remained waterlogged for days before finally giving way, creating hazardous pits and disrupting daily life.
Ankit Barot, the chairman of the Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation's sanitation committee, has been inspecting the affected sites. He explained the technical failure behind the collapses. "As water is released under pressure, small leaks develop. Over time, the soil loosens and collapses, leading to cave-ins," Barot stated. He directly linked the situation to the modernisation project, terming the cave-ins a "byproduct of the 24/7 pilot project."
Health Crisis Looms Amidst Typhoid Cases
The underground leaks have consequences beyond damaged roads. The contaminated water seeping into the soil is believed to be linked to a concerning outbreak of typhoid fever. Cases, mostly involving children, have been reported from Sectors 24, 26, 28, and the Adiwada area.
In response, the health surveillance machinery has been put on high alert. The municipal health department has intensified its monitoring efforts and deployed several health workers from the Sector 24 and Sector 29 Urban Health Centres (UHCs) to the affected neighbourhoods. Officials have cautioned residents that the incubation period for typhoid can be as long as 30 days, keeping the community on edge even after leaks are fixed.
Municipal Corporation's Damage Control Measures
Facing public outcry and a growing crisis, the Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation has initiated emergency measures. During a press conference on Tuesday, Municipal Commissioner J N Vaghela announced that 36 leaks had been identified and plugged. While those specific sites have been secured, the emergence of new cave-ins indicates the problem is more widespread.
To tackle the ongoing issue, Chairman Ankit Barot outlined the civic body's action plan. Dedicated monitoring teams, comprising one plumber and two helpers per sector, have been deployed to detect and seal leaks on a war footing. Furthermore, the roads and buildings department has been roped in to assist with shutting water valves and stabilising the zones affected by the cave-ins.
The situation has cast a serious shadow over the city's 24/7 water supply project, which was envisioned as a flagship initiative to modernise Gandhinagar's urban infrastructure. The project is now under intense scrutiny as authorities race against time to prevent more streets from sinking and to contain the spread of waterborne disease.
