A number of underground pipes that carry water to at least four blocks in Salt Lake’s Sector III have sprung leaks, triggering a water crisis in the area.

The leaks were noticed around a month back, when water was seeping into the black top of the Broadway, which connects EM Bypass with Salt Lake near the FE Block island.

On Sunday, several blocks that get water through this network faced an acute water shortage.

Metro had in August reported how such leaks had triggered road cave-ins near the Salt Lake stadium and the FE Block island.

Although both sites were repaired, the pipes at the FE island sprang leaks again a few months after they were repaired.

Now, multiple craters have formed on the artery as the asphalt layer has disintegrated following sustained water seepage. Many of the craters are hidden under pools of water.

The leaked pipes carry water from Salt Lake’s tank number 13 to FE, GC, FD, IA, HA, GC, IC and KD-KC blocks, among others.

Many residents of the area said their water supply had been erratic over the past month and despite complaints to the civic body, no repairs had been undertaken. “The leaks have reduced our water supply to a trickle,” said Sarswati Halder, a resident of IC Block.

A resident of FE Block said they were storing water in containers and tubs as the supply was not adequate.

“This is turning out to be quite a chore for us,” said Samaresh Bhattacharya, an FE Block resident. “The leaks have developed under the main road and are visible to everybody, but still they have been lying unattended for a month.”

A traffic policeman posted at the crossing said the craters had caused multiple accidents.

“On Sunday, a man riding a gearless scooter with his five-year-old son lost control of the vehicle when the front wheel fell into a water-filled crater. The young man escaped unhurt but his father was injured. The craters are

a trap for commuters in cars as well as two-wheelers,” said the cop, who spoke on condition that he would not be named.

On Sunday, Metro saw cars and two-wheelers swerve dangerously in a bid to avert the water-filled craters. Everybody, however, was not successful.

Raunak Pal, a resident of Phoolbagan who rode a bike through the stretch during the day, said it was unthinkable that such craters were allowed to grow on a busy road.

“This is extremely dangerous. At night, this is a potential death trap,” said Pal.

Officials of the Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation and the Calcutta Metropolitan Development Authority said they had surveyed the affected stretch and would start repairs soon.

Engineers at the civic body said the joints in the ageing pipe network were springing leaks because they were not sturdy enough to handle high pressure over a prolonged period.

“We will also have to inspect the pipes… to do this we need to dig up the stretch,” said an engineer of the civic body.