Director Q3 L and W (South) in a telegraphic message said: ``It has been decided at the highest level to permit laying of water pipeline through 900 metres of NDA land near new Ahire village. The ministry has decided to delink the issue of vacation of Ahire village from the Warje water pipeline issue.''

Recommending the necessary clearances for the pipeline that had stalled the multi-million World Bank-aided water supply scheme, the defence authorities maintained that the decision would not dilute their stand regarding necessity to vacate Ahire village.

Defence authorities linking relocation of Ahire village with the Warje water scheme was the bone of contention of now the about three-year old issue. Calling the Defence Ministry stance absurd, 5000-odd residents of the sprawling northwestern suburb had staged a rasta roko last Monday. Warje also had observed a total bandh supporting the demand.

``The pipeline be laid underground and no permanent or temporary construction should come up above the ground on the stretch of the defence land,'' is the condition laid by the authorities for the Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran which has been executing the project.

The facsimile copies of the Defence Ministry orders were received from the office of Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sharad Pawar, this afternoon, a a press communique from an action committee for peoples' agitation for Warje water supply said.

The project completed and tested successfully, sans the NDA portion of the pipeline was standing unused since a few months, for want of necessary clearances from the Defence Ministry headquarters. The Pradhikaran also had altered the alignment of the pipeline between a sump well on the left bank of the Khadakwasala reservoir to the water works atop the Ganapati matha hillock.