Pune Metro News: Safety Concerns Rise After Borewell Drilling Pierces Pune Metro Tunnel

Pune Metro News: An unauthorised borewell drilling activity in Pune's Shukrawar Peth has reportedly caused damage to an underground section of the Pune Metro tunnel along the Shivajinagar-Swargate route, raising concerns about construction activities near metro infrastructure.

The incident occurred on March 14 at a residential property on Shivaji Road, where drilling work allegedly punctured the underground tunnel that forms part of the Pune Metro Rail Project. According to officials from the Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation Limited (Maha Metro), the drilling created a six-inch breach in the tunnel structure.

The tunnel is part of the underground corridor connecting Shivajinagar and Swargate stations, built as twin tunnels around 6.4 metres in diameter and located roughly 60 to 100 feet below the ground. These tunnels are reinforced with cement concrete rings designed to ensure structural stability.

Authorities said the homeowner and contractor allegedly proceeded with the borewell work without obtaining clearance, despite advisories that prohibit excavation and drilling in areas located above Pune Metro tunnels. Such restrictions are meant to prevent damage to underground transit infrastructure.

The breach was detected after metro personnel noticed unusual water seepage inside the tunnel between Swargate and Mandai stations. Tunnel operator Bhushan Pradeep Baringe reported the issue to the operations control room, prompting an internal inspection by metro officials.

Initial checks from inside the tunnel could not identify the exact cause. However, a surface investigation later revealed that an old wada structure had recently been demolished at the property and a borewell had been drilled at the same location.

Metro officials traced the seepage to tunnel line number 15/56 and ring number 471. The leakage was contained by March 17, and the damage has been estimated at around ₹2.5 lakh.

Police have since registered a case against the contractor and the property owner for conducting unauthorised drilling that allegedly damaged Pune Metro infrastructure.

The incident is similar to another recent case in Mumbai, where illegal borewell drilling caused a minor breach in the tunnel of the Mumbai Metro Line 3, also known as the Aqua Line.