Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Water supply from Aruvikkara resumes

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The supply of drinking water to the Peroorkada zone of the Kerala Water Authority (KWA) was restored on Monday morning after the leak in a 1,200-mm cast iron main pipeline originating at Aruvikkara was plugged.

Water supply to areas coming under the zone was disrupted shortly after 10 p.m. on May 30 to facilitate repair work on the leaking line. Though the leak was detected almost a week ago, the KWA was able to pinpoint it only on Friday night.

As the repair work progressed, KWA engineers found out that the leaking line had developed a crack. With this discovery the KWA’s hopes of restoring water supply on this line on Saturday morning were dashed. With each passing hour the engineers found out that they had grossly underestimated the time required for the repair work. What helped the KWA complete the repair work on Monday morning was the additional earth moving equipment and pipe cutters it borrowed from Larsen and Toubro that was engaged in construction work related to the JBIC scheme at Aruvikkara. A section of the cracked line was cut away and replaced with a newly fabricated section.

After normal pumping in the 1200 mm line was restored, the KWA’s workers noticed another leak a few feet away from the repaired section of the line. The engineers maintain, however, that the leak could be mended without any disruption in pumping.

Water Resources Minister N.K. Premachandran has ordered the Special Secretary in the Water Resources Department M.N. Gunavardhanan to inquire into the reasons for the leak at Aruvikkara and to suggest measures to prevent such leaks in the future. Water would be supplied in tankers to areas in the Peroorkada zone till the supply in the network stabilised.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

More police to be deployed near schools
PSC decision
Pollution control awards declared
VS to open pilot training course
Nod for projects
Mining lobby hijacked polls: Ravi
Rousing reception to special children
Serious journalism on the decline: Mani
City set to become ‘global epicentre of business meets’
Accused escapes from custody
Office-bearers
Probe sought
Four hours of drama, tension at Golf Club
Mixed reaction to verdict on Golf Club
‘Do not ignore gains of decentralisation’
Water supply from Aruvikkara resumes

Copyright © 2008, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu