Pune Metro’s Maan Station experienced water leakage during rainfall on Sunday evening, prompting concerns about station readiness two days before the scheduled inauguration of the Shivajinagar-Hinjawadi Metro Line 3. The Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) said the incident was caused by a temporary blockage in a rainwater drainage pipe and not by a defect in the station’s structural components.
In a statement, PMRDA Chief Engineer Rinaj Pathan said the terrace slab of the station’s entry structure is open to the sky. A temporary obstruction prevented rainwater from flowing through the drainage pipe, causing water to accumulate on the slab and eventually overflow.
According to the authority, the water seeped through the gap between the station box and the entry structure before becoming visible at the mezzanine level. PMRDA said the blockage had been removed and that rainwater was draining normally after the obstruction was cleared.
The explanation followed the circulation of videos on social media showing water dripping from the ceiling at Maan Metro Station during rainfall. The footage showed water accumulating in areas used for passenger movement, while station staff used buckets and floor wipers to clear the affected sections.
PMRDA maintained that the leakage was caused solely by the temporary obstruction in the drainage pipe. The authority said there was no defect in any structural element of the station box or the entry structure. The statement did not indicate any damage to the station or provide details of an independent inspection.
The incident drew attention because it occurred shortly before the planned launch of Metro Line 3, a 23-station corridor connecting Shivajinagar and Hinjawadi. The project is being implemented by PMRDA through a public-private partnership involving Tata Group and Siemens.
The main inauguration ceremony is scheduled for November 3 at the Balewadi Sports Complex, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis expected to attend. Regular passenger services are expected to begin on November 4 at 17 of the corridor’s 23 stations, according to the announced plan.
The leakage also prompted residents and IT professionals to call for checks of the affected area and other passenger-facing systems before services begin. Questions raised after the incident include whether drainage, electrical installations, escalators, lifts and related station facilities are functioning safely. PMRDA has so far said the temporary drainage obstruction has been cleared and that the station’s structural elements have no defect.
