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Sunday, Apr 27, 2008
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Water supply thrown out of gear

Staff Reporter

Kerala Water Authority pipeline bursts at Sasthamangalam

Photo: S. Mahinsha

Capital woes: Water surging from a broken 700 mm pumping main pipeline of the Kerala Water Authority flooded the Sasthamangalam junction in the city on Saturday.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Piped drinking water supply to most of the areas in the city was thrown out of gear on Saturday following a pipeline burst at Sasthamangalam junction. The areas affected were those that come under the Observatory, PTP and Thirumala zones of the Kerala Water Authority (KWA).

A 700 mm pumping main line that branches off at Vellayambalam from the main line bringing water from Aruvikkara to the Observatory Hills burst consequent to drilling activity in the area by workers of telecom company Vodafone who were laying an underground cable.

The Primo pipe was hit by the arm of a drilling machine and burst shortly after 2 a.m. on Saturday. A section of the road at the junction caved in as water jetted out on to the road. After the incident, the KWA shut down the pumping station at its Chithirakunnu facility at Aruvikkara at 8 a.m. An estimated 2.5 crore litres of filtered, treated drinking water was lost due to the burst. By 5.45 p.m. on Saturday, the KWA isolated the burst line from its parent main and restored pumping of water to the reservoirs at Observatory Hills.

Repair work on the burst line is expected to be completed on Sunday morning. Minister for Water Resources N.K. Premachandran said the KWA would initially claim Rs.25 lakh from Vodafone for the loss of drinking water. Nearly 45 tankers were pressed into service to supply water to affected areas.

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