Another burst in Pilloor main supply line

The damaged portion of the Pilloor drinking water line following a burst that occurred early on Sunday at Veerapandi Pirivu, about 30 km north of the city.The Pilloor drinking water supply appeared jinxed, as yet another burst in the main line occurred around 3.30 a.m. and stopped the daily supply of 125 million litres of water to the city and over 500 panchayats.Mayor R. Venkatachalam assured the people that water from the Siruvani scheme would be supplied to most of the affected parts that came under the Pilloor scheme, just as it was done after the previous burst. “We will manage the situation as best as possible till the supply is restored sometime on Monday night or early Tuesday,” he said after visiting the burst site along with Deputy Mayor N. Karthik.

The second major burst in just five days jolted the Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage Board and the Coimbatore Corporation, as the drinking water supply situation was just about improving following the previous burst on June 28. Supply was restored only on Friday afternoon after that burst near the Velliyangadu pumping station.Sunday’s burst occurred at Veerpandi Pirivu, more than 30 km north of the city. The latest disruption came as a double blow to the tail-end areas of the Pilloor scheme, such as Pongalur and Sultanpet that were more than 40 km south east of the city and nearly 80 km in that direction from the pumping station.The tail-end areas were about to get supply only late on Sunday after the previous burst.But, the latest problem would keep them without normal supply for another three to four days.

Senior water board officials led by Executive Engineer (Pilloor scheme) K. Rathinavelu were supervising the repair works. Mr. Rathinavelu said the pre-stressed concrete pipe burst because of water hammer pressure that was caused by problems in power supply.Water board and Corporation officials said a sudden halt in the supply led to a strong backward flow clashing with an equally strong onward flow as water continued to be pumped towards the city even as the burst occurred.The clash resulted in water rising up and causing a burst in the 1500 mm pipe.Mr. Rathinavelu said that just as in the repair works after the previous burst the damaged concrete pipe would be replaced with a mild steel pipe, as it could withstand the water hammer pressure.

Corporation Commissioner P. Muthuveeran deputed a team of officials from the civic body to the burst site. Led by City Engineer V. Raju, they were also helping out in the repair works.The Mayor said that the retention of old Siruvani lines in 55 per cent of the Pilloor-served areas in the city were a boon.Another 10 per cent of the Pilloor areas would be supplied water in lorries. For the others, it would be a painful wait. But, when the normal supply resumed, these areas would get water first, the Mayor said.Mr. Venkatachalam thanked the heavy rain at the Siruvani Dam and the catchments in Kerala for helping the Corporation in overcoming the crisis caused by the Pilloor line burst.

For 24 hours till Sunday morning, the dam recorded 140 mm rain.“There is plenty of water coming through the falls (from the upper reaches of the Siruvani hills) and the water level in the dam keeps rising,” he said.The level was more than 48 ft as against the full reservoir level of 67.44 ft.It had risen by over five ft since Friday.

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