KOCHI: Drinking water supply in various parts of the city was disrupted on Thursday after a KWA pipeline broke at Thrikkakara late on Wednesday night.
Two 900-mm pipes of Kerala Water Authority broke, resulting in a huge amount of water being discharged into the Pipeline Road causing total chaos in the region. Some bike riders were injured after they fell into the pit formed following pipeline rapture and water discharge. According to Executive Engineer, KWA, Aluva circle, “restoration efforts were taken up immediately after the water leakage was noticed. The repair works were conducted after restricting traffic movement through the Pipeline Road.”
Thrikkakara municipality councillors said that the pipeline burst resulted in massive quantity of water being discharged onto the road at high pressure.
“Two pipes that carry water from Aluva drinking water plant to Ernakulam broke. It was not a pipeline burst in the conventional sense. The water came in full force. Later, the pipes were emptied by pumping water out and repair works were undertaken,” said an official of KWA.
The official added that the authority had been urging the civic body authorities to restrict traffic through the Pipeline Road at least partially to avoid similar incidents.
“It is necessary to place barricades to restrict entry of vehicles to the road through which a crucial water pipeline is passing. Though a project for the same has been submitted to the MLA, it is yet to receive necessary sanctions. If such interventions were made, a similar scenario could have been avoided,” the official said.
