Tamil Nadu - Salem   

Restricted pumping begins

By Our Special Correspondent

SALEM, FEB. 16. The officials of the Salem Corporation and the Tamil Nadu Water and Drainage Board (TWAD) have resumed a restricted pumping of water today after plugging the major breach that occurred in the main pipeline of the Salem-Attur Comprehensive Water Supply Scheme at Ponnammapet here, a week back.

"The pumping, to ensure a slow and steady build-up of pressure, is being carried out with the help of three motors, as the breach, which was very long has just been plugged. The concrete reinforcement works are being carried out today to avoid the recurrence of such incidents in future," said the Corporation Commissioner, T. Paulsamy.

The officials did not operate all the six motors for pumping the water at present, as they feared that it might cause the breach again. The water supply in its full flow is expected to resume in a couple of days in the areas of Sooramangalam, Perumamalai, Asthampatti, Guhai and its adjoining pockets.

The overhead tanks in these localities would have to be filled up before distributing the water in pipelines. Thus 50 per cent of city's areas would be covered shortly, the officials hoped.

But water supply to Ponnammapet, Ammapet, Vazhapadi and the areas beyond Asthampatti would remain hit for another three to four days. "Unless all the six motors are engaged for pumping the required pressure could not be built up for the distribution of water to these areas," said an official. The officials had to plug another breach, small in nature, at Ammapet, which delayed the resumption of the supply further.

Power shutdowns

The major reason for the breach in the pipeline was said to be the frequent power shutdowns. Once a power shutdown occurred, the air got locked in the pipeline thus creating pressure within it. "This bursts out beyond a certain point," said the official who also added that they had no other alternative but to face these problems, as and when they cropped up.

The city remained without water for a week now following the breach that occurred in the main pipeline of the Salem-Attur scheme that covered the major portion of the city's population. Workers and officials from the Corporation and TWAD Board worked round- the-clock for five days to plug the breach.

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