Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Earth caves in at KWA work site

— Photo: S. Mahinsha

Hurdles: The construction site of the Kerala Water Authority where land caved in on Sunday. The authority’s elevated service reservoir is also seen.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: An earth cave in at the construction site of a massive water tank on the premises of the Kerala Water Authority (KWA) at Aruvikkara has posed a threat to the safety of a pipeline bringing water to the city and a reservoir right next to the construction site.

Early on Saturday morning, a large chunk of earth near the basement of the ‘Elevated Service Reservoir’ next to the 72 million litres per day (MLD) treatment plant collapsed following heavy rain.

A portion of the 1200 mm cast iron ‘pumping main’ that brings water to the KWA’s Vellayambalam facility was also exposed following the cave in.

If the earth caves in further, the pipeline is in real danger of sagging and bursting.

The new reservoir is part of the projects envisaged under the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) scheme.

Engineers of the KWA said here that though the soil at the site was very loose there was no provision to preserve the boundaries of the rectangular construction site.

However, a team of KWA engineers have been specially deputed to supervise all activities relating to the JBIC scheme. On Sunday morning, workers at the construction site placed sandbags along the collapsed sides of land in an attempt to prevent further accidents.

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