Overhead tank inaugurated three months ago in Mission Bhagiratha tilts in Telangana

A 60,000-litre overhead tank constructed as part of Mission Bhagiratha water on Thursday pulled off a leaning tower of Pisa in Nagarkurnool district of Telangana. Locals at Dindichintapalli village of Vanguru Mandal on Thursday morning noticed the water tanker commissioned barely three months ago tilt by 30 degrees.

The water tanker was constructed as part of Telangana governments flagship water Drinking Water Supply Project that aims to provide drinking water to towns and villages. The project built at a cost of Rs 45,028 crore involves over 1.3 lakh kilometres of drinking water pipes. The overhead tanker that tilted at the village was part of the 36,087 overhead service reservoir being constructed as part of the project. 

The scene might have appeared comical, but officials said the overhead tank was built for a cost of Rs 15 lakh and tiled due to weak soil at the foundation. The tank however remains intact and poses no danger to the public, according to Sridhar Rao, Executive Engineer with the Mission Bhagiratha Project in charge for the Vanguru mandal division. The Mission Bhagiratha Project is executed by the Department of Panchayat Raj and Rural Development.

"The soil is weak which has caused the tilt. The foundation of the structure was done by another contractor and the work was stopped in 2017. Another contractor came eight months back and finished the project. Soil test was done but seems the soil in one portion was weak," said Sridhar who pinned the blame of the contractor, "The location for the overhead tank was chosen by the village sarpanch and the first contractor built the foundation overhead tanker after getting a soil test done, the department had no role in its construction. When the work is done we only commission it," he added. 

The official was unaware if the second contractor who completed the abandoned structure did a soil test.

The officer informed that a team of engineers from the Panchayath Raj and Rural Development department visited the site on Thursday and inspected the overhead structure, "The Chief Engineer is drawing up plans to strengthen the base of the overhead tanker, the work will be undertaken and completed in a couple of days," the officer added.