Auranagabad: HC Bans Concretisation Until Water Pipeline Works Completed

Observing that breaking newly constructed roads for laying internal pipelines is a waste of taxpayer money, the Aurangabad Division Bench of the Bombay High Court, comprising Justice Ravindra Ghuge and Justice YG Khobragade, has directed the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Municipal Corporation (CSMC) to halt the construction of concrete roads. The bench also instructed CSMC not to grant permission for concrete road projects or issue no-objection certificates (NOCs) for such work.

Additionally, concerns were raised about the contamination of the water supply, and the court directed that the administration ensure residents receive clean drinking water. Where water pipelines are absent, they should be installed immediately. A survey should be conducted to address illegal water connections, with fines imposed and actions taken to regularize them. Any interference in these actions should be reported and addressed.

Contractor must provide nine water tanks to the corporation

Advocate Rashmi Kulkarni, representing the petitioner, informed the court that contractors had dug up cement roads for pipeline installation but did not repair the roads afterward. Local representatives also dug the roads, with CSMC granting NOCs and permissions for the work. Cement and debris from the excavation were left in the open or used to cover pipelines. Additionally, pipes were placed on footpaths where residents have been dumping garbage.

The bench directed that the contractor must provide nine water tanks to the corporation by September 30. The corporation is to ensure these tanks supply ample water to the surrounding areas. Land acquisition for water tanks in Islampurwadi, Kolthanwadi, and Gurudasnagar remains incomplete, and measures should be taken to acquire the necessary land. The remaining tank projects should be expedited, the bench added.