THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: It was another normal day with a clear sky and pleasant weather. But all of a sudden, water started gushing into the houses of many residing at Kanaka Nagar in Vellayambalam on Thursday evening. Clueless about what was happening, people ran out of their houses. “There was no rain. So it was baffling where all the water came from,” recalled Krishnakumar K, a local resident, while cleaning his house on Friday morning.
People had no option but to wait outside their houses till water receded. When Krishnakumar finally managed to enter the house, all utensils were floating in the water. It was pitch dark, with the power cut off. When he entered after switching on the flashlight on his phone, he saw something moving in the water. “It was a snake, which was a scary sight,” says Krishnakumar, a postmaster. People had to spend the whole night clearing water, waste and sludge accumulated in the houses.
A repair work carried out by Thiruvananthapuram corporation workers led to the bursting of a 70 cm-diameter pipe of the Kerala Water Authority around 5.15 pm. The water gushing out of the pipeline flooded the road and disrupted normal life.
Staring at the mammoth bundle of waste and mud deposited in front of the KIIFB land acquisition office of tehsildar Sheeja S said if the course of the water had been different and had it hit the building, the 100-year old building would have collapsed. The building is close to the site where the pipe burst happened. Since the office staff had left by the time the incident happened, there was no casualty. “A two-wheeler of an office staffer that got washed away was completely destroyed. With all this waste and mud, entering the office itself is a challenge,” she added.
Jayakumar K, an autorickshaw driver, recalled how his house was destroyed in the rain around 15 years ago. When the water rushed in on Thursday, he feared something similar would happen. Fortunately, the water didn’t enter his house. “We have been working since morning to clear the mud from my home,” said Jayakumar. The corporation workers began the cleaning work in the morning. K Thulasi, 61, another local resident, said although his house was spared, a lot of families were affected and the road was destroyed.
Repair work in progress
Meanwhile, the repair work is still progressing at the site of the pipeline rupture. “The initial work involves installing concrete pillars in the eroded area near the pipeline. The work of assembling the pipelines will take place after the concrete is solidified. Water is being supplied from other pipelines in some places where water supply is disrupted. The water supply will be restored by Sunday evening,” the KWA executive engineer said.