Pimpri, 4th March 2026: The Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has terminated the contractor responsible for the Bhama Askhed closed pipeline project after the work remained incomplete despite three deadline extensions. Nearly 30 per cent of the project is still pending, and the civic body will now float fresh tenders to appoint a new contractor.
Launched over five and a half years ago, the project aims to draw 167 million litres per day (MLD) of water from the Bhama Askhed dam to meet the growing water demand in Pimpri-Chinchwad. Along with 100 MLD from the Andra dam, the civic body had planned to secure a total of 267 MLD to cater to the cityтАЩs rising population.
The pipeline work involves laying a 1,400-mm-diameter pipeline over a 7.30-km stretch from the raw water intake centre at Waki (Khed) to the break pressure tank at Navlakh Umbre in Talegaon MIDC, and a further 18.30 km stretch up to the water treatment plant at Chikhali.
The тВ╣162-crore contract was awarded on December 15, 2020, with a completion deadline of December 14, 2024. However, despite three extensions granted by the administration, the contractor failed to complete the project. So far, around 70 per cent of the work has been executed.
The contractor had sought an extension until March 2026 along with a revision in rates, stating that the work could not proceed without cost escalation. The administration rejected the demand for a rate hike, leaving the remaining 30 per cent of the work unfinished.
With the city facing alternate-day water supply for over six years, residents may now have to endure water scarcity for at least another year. The appointment of a new contractor and completion of the remaining work is expected to take around 12 months.
Municipal Commissioner Shravan Hardikar confirmed that the contractor was removed for failing to complete the work within the stipulated timeframe. He said a fresh tender process would be initiated to complete the pending portion of the pipeline.
Meanwhile, the project management consultant appointed for the Andra and Bhama Askhed water supply scheme on March 3, 2018, has also received multiple extensions. The original consultancy tenure of 36 months, which ended on March 2, 2021, has been extended three times and is now valid until October 2, 2026. The consultancy cost has increased from the initial тВ╣7.28 crore to тВ╣9.31 crore.
Due to delays and the re-tendering process, the overall cost of the Bhama Askhed pipeline project is likely to escalate further, adding to the financial burden on the civic body while residents continue to wait for improved water supply.
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