The pipe is fixed; the water supply is yet to be fully restored

Workers repairing a pipeline exploded near Pallippady in Thammanam on December 22. | Photo Credit: THULASI KAKKAT

Water supply to many parts of Kochi Corporation near Palarivattom is gradually being restored after the marathon maintenance work carried out by KWA engineers and workers throughout Saturday (December 21) night. The repair work followed the bursting of a drinking water supply pipe on Saturday afternoon near Pallippady on the Thammanam-Palarivattom road.

The KWA official said on Sunday, December 22, water pumping started again and will be complete on Monday, although some areas at the end of the water supply line may still face problems.

The works to repair the pipeline were completed around 5:30 am on Sunday, said George Nanattu, councilor of Division 44 of the Corporation.

Although the water supply was returning to normal, the Union authorities were ready to provide drinking water to households near Thammanam and neighboring areas using tanker trucks. Tank supplies were provided after a water pipe from the Thammanam pump house burst last week, said Georgi Kureekode, Palarivattom councillor.

Traffic on the Vyttila-Palarivattom route has not yet returned as repairs are still underway at the spot where the pipeline burst and destroyed the road. Vehicles including two-wheelers are diverted to facilitate road maintenance and to ensure that traffic does not interfere with the restored pipeline.

Mr. Kureekode said a small section of the pipe is old and needs to be replaced. He said that the work to replace the old pipe has reportedly faced conflicts with the residents, which he pointed out as the reason for the delay in the completion of the repair.