COIMBATORE: Yet another pipeline burst leading to a road cave-in and water supply disruption has been reported from Coimbatore city.
The latest occurred on Sunday on the same stretch of Sathyamangalam Road where the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) repaired a major rupture in the Pillur Scheme II main pipeline near Saravanampatti the previous day.
According to civic officials, the latest damage occurred barely a few metres from the section repaired on Saturday night. As soon as water was released to test the restored line, a fresh two-metre-long segment of the pipeline gave way, sending large volumes of water gushing onto the road.
The force of the outflow quickly eroded the soil underneath, resulting in the roadway collapsing for the second time in just three days.
CCMC teams rushed to the spot and immediately began work to replace the damaged section entirely. "We found that nearly two metres of the pipe had split. Our workers are cutting out the defective portion and installing a new section. The repairs are expected to be completed by Tuesday," a senior official told the TNIE.
The recurring failures have fuelled frustration among residents in the north zone, as several localities under Pillur Scheme II have now been without a regular water supply for days. Officials said the supply will remain suspended until the repairs are fully completed.
The new rupture follows Thursday night's dramatic incident, when a sudden burst in the same 1,000 mm pipeline created a massive crater on Sathy Road, swallowing an earthmover that had arrived for emergency repairs. That burst was attributed to a sudden surge of pressure after the dormant pipeline was reactivated following maintenance shutdowns at the Kundha Dam.
With repeated bursts weakening the stretch and disrupting thousands of households, CCMC engineers are now monitoring the entire line closely to prevent further incidents. Authorities have also cordoned off the affected section of the road to ensure public safety until repair works conclude.