The Hindu : Kerala / Kochi News : Pipe repaired, water supply restored

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Sunday, Sep 14, 2008
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Kerala - Kochi

Pipe repaired, water supply restored

Staff Reporter

Heavy rain stalls work, pipe repaired by Saturday evening

Photo: Vipin Chandran

ON A WAR-FOOTING: The burst pipeline being repaired on Thammanam road in the city on Saturday. —

KOCHI: Drinking water supply in certain parts of the city that was affected following a pipe burst was restored on Saturday.

Supply in parts of Thammanam, Palarivattam, Ponekkara, and Edappally was disrupted after a 700-mm pipe in the main line of supply under the Thammanam-Palarivattam Road burst on Friday morning.

Though the officials of the Kerala Water Authority started repair works on Friday night itself, the replacement of the pipe and restoration of water supply could be completed only by Saturday night.

Men and material were pressed into service as the work resumed on early Saturday morning. But the heavy rain that lashed the city in the previous days had increased the ground water level making the laying of pipe all the more difficult, a senior official of the KWA said.

Water rushed out as the road was dug up even at a depth of one metre. “We had to dig up at a depth of two metres and at every stage water had to be pumped out using a motor,” he said. Besides, care had to be taken not to damage underground cables and service wires. Entire water was pumped out only by the evening after which the four-metre-long pipe was replaced.

Councillors of the area and resident’s association members extended all help in the smooth conduct of the repair works, the official said

A big crater had formed in the middle of the road in the impact of the pipe burst. The continuous leakage of water coupled with the break up of road turned the entire area slushy throwing traffic out of gear. Traffic was fully restored after the completion of repair works.

Last week the local people had staged a road blockade to draw attention to the pathetic condition of roads resulting from frequent pipe bursts. The death of a motorbike rider after he fell into one of the potholes on the road triggered the protest.

A people’s convention demanding a permanent solution to the problem will be held on September 19 at 5 p.m. The convention under the aegis of the Action Council, a platform of the protesting local residents, is being held at the initiative of local councillors T.J. Vinod and Mini Joseph.

MLAs K. Babu and K.V. Thomas, Sebastian Paul, MP, and Deputy Mayor C.K. Manisankar are expected to attend the convention, Mr. Vinod said.

KWA officials pointed out that the pipes in the area were age-old and well past their service period. Increased traffic on the Thammanam-Palarivattam Road putting additional pressure on the pipes has not helped either.

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