COIMBATORE: Frequent leakages and ruptures in the drinking water pipelines in Cheran Nagar at Kavundampalayam have irked the residents as the drinking water supply gets delayed in the area.
The overhead tank (OHT) located at Cheran Nagar, which has a storage capacity of 6 lakh litres, supplies water to 1,800 houses in the locality. However, the pipelines carrying water from the OHT to the residential units often get ruptured, due to which the water supply is affected. People of the area said Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) should find a permanent solution to the problem.
“This is the third time the pipeline has ruptured in the past month and drinking water is getting wasted,” said M Gunasekaran, a resident of Cheran Nagar, adding it has been three days since the pipelines directly opposite the OHT ruptured, but the officials haven’t repaired it.
“Earlier, we used to receive drinking water once in a week or 10 days. But now, the frequency has been increased to two weeks. Officials cite pipeline leakages and ruptures as reasons for this. However, the main reason for the rupture is the shoddy repair work and the use of substandard materials in fixing the pipeline issues. Due to the shoddy repair works and poor quality pipelines, the pipes often burst and water starts flowing on the road once again,” he concluded.
Speaking to TNIE, a CCMC official from the west zone said, “We are aware of the issue and are trying to address it soon. We have to carry out a complicated collar joint of the pipelines. Also, we don’t want to stop the water supply to residential units as the frequency has already increased. Once we start the repair work, the water supply will be completely stopped in the areas. So we shall continue to supply water for one or two days and then start the works.”