Almost from the start, Patel Dam seemed prone to leaks, just small ones, nothing too serious. Even villagers in the farms downstream used to joke thus: "See you later if the dam doesn't break".

The dam, with a 200,000 cubic metre capacity, located at the farm of a prominent farmer Mansukul Patel in Solai, Kabazi ward, is among seven the farmer has constructed to supply water for irrigation in their horticulture and livestock farming venture, spanning decades.

Patel seems to have carefully chosen the location of the dam; it lies adjacent to River Kabazi - collecting water from the river and draining it to another dam next to Kamukunji trading centre.