Pipe burst still contiues at Pillor
Even though rain has filled up the Pilloor Dam, problems continue to dog the scheme for which the dam is the source for a major drinking water scheme for one half of the city, over 20 town panchayats and more than 500 village panchayats.The main supply line sprang a leak early on Sunday morning, reviving fears of yet another major disruption in the supply of drinking water to the city.But, Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage Board officials said that timely detection and repairs prevented a major problem.The plugging of the leak at a spot where two cement pipes met was done by afternoon and the supply resumed in the evening, an official said.The leak occurred at Veerapandi Pirivu, more than 30 km north of the city, where another portion of the pipe had burst on July 1 and stopped water supply for two days. But, supply was stopped only for 12 hours following the leak on Sunday, the official said.There would not be any major disruption in supply as water would reach the city by night.But, had the leak not been detected early, it could have led to a burst as major as the one on July 1, the official said.
The burst that day forced the replacement of a 20 ft cement pipe with one made of mild steel as it could withstand pressure.Another section of the main line had burst on June 27 near the scheme’s pumping station at Velliyangadu. Though minor compared with the earlier problems, the leak on Sunday was the third disruption in 11 days.Coimbatore Corporation sources said that Mayor R. Venkatachalam conveyed to the water board authorities the civic body’s resentment over the frequent bursts and leaks in the Pilloor line.The sources said that councillors and the people targeted the Corporation whenever Pilloor water supply was disrupted.
The supply was yet to be restored fully in some areas that were located on a higher level, after the previous two instances of disruption. Water first reached the areas on a lower level soon after supply was restored after the June 27 disruption.By the time it was about to reach the areas on a higher level, the line burst again on July 1 and stopped the supply. One of the areas had gone without supply for almost two weeks.Sunday’s disruption led to the postponing of supply by a day as water reached the main service reservoir at Saravanampatti on the city’s northern border late in the night.Those who were to get their normal supply of Pilloor water on Sunday will get it only on Monday.The sources said that this would have a cascading effect on those who were to get supply on subsequent days, and that this problem was on since the June 28 pipeline burst.
