Six-Inch Breach in Pune Metro Tunnel: Unauthorized Borewell Drilling Leads to FIR

A high-risk security breach was recently discovered in the underground Pune Metro tunnel in the Shukrawar Peth area. Unauthorized drilling of a 60-foot-deep borewell punctured a six-inch hole through the tunnel’s reinforced concrete ring, causing significant water leakage directly onto the metro tracks.

The Discovery of the Leak

The incident came to light on March 14, when a train operator noticed water flowing onto the tracks between the Mandai and Swargate stations. Upon investigation at “ring sequence number 471,” Metro officials surveyed the surface level above the leak. They discovered that an old residential cluster (wada) in front of the Khadak police station had been demolished to make way for a new borewell.

Negligence and Legal Action

The drilling was conducted by a contractor on land owned by Dhananjay Mote. Officials confirmed that no prior permission was sought from the Pune Metro authorities, despite clear surface markings indicating the presence of the 6.4-meter diameter tunnels running 60 to 100 feet underground.

Following a complaint from the Operations and Maintenance Division, the Pune police have booked both the landowner and the contractor, identified as Jagtap. They face charges under:

• The Metro Railways Act, 2002 (Section 78): Relating to the damage or destruction of metro property.
• BNS Sections: Pertaining to acts that endanger the life or personal safety of others.

Current Status and Safety Concerns

While the specific leak was repaired by March 17, the FIR emphasizes that the risk has not been entirely neutralized. Officials warn that such structural damage could lead to further seepage, potentially disrupting metro services or compromising the tunnel’s waterproof integrity. Assistant Inspector Kuldip Vhatkar is currently leading the ongoing investigation. Stay tuned to know more about it and others only with us and if you have anything to share do comment below and share your thoughts by commenting below. So, let your thought flow in the form of a comment!