BENGALURU: Water supply and traffic movement were impacted when the Cauvery water pipeline burst and a gaping sinkhole formed on the road at Kundalahalli Junction on Sunday.
BWSSB Chief Engineer Suresh B said the pipe burst was reported around 5.30 am, and the crack was 450mm wide. A small crack could have led to water leakage and compacting of loose soil increasing the pressure on the pipe and causing it to burst, he added.
However, repair work was completed by evening and water supply was restored, he said. The Mahadevapura Task Force said the pipe burst was expected to affect Cauvery water supply in Munnekolala, Thubarahalli, AECS, BEML Layouts, Kundalahalli, and traffic for 48 hours.
‘Norms flouted while laying roads’
Manu Madhvan, a resident from the area, said that being a Sunday, there was little traffic in the area and the traffic police managed it. The movement of residents and commuters was affected as the Sai Baba temple Road just beside Kundalahalli Gate was shut for excavation work.
A civil engineer raised doubts over the road laying work, saying it was not done according to norms. When the land is dug up, the soil should be poured in layers and not dumped at one go and flattened with road rollers, he added. Looking at the damage, he said it was localised around the area where the pipe broke. However, the images show water accumulation causing soil to crumble where the underpass ended, he said.