Even as the Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage (TWAD) Board was trying to replace the damaged portion of the Pilloor main pipeline at Ondipudur, drinking water supply to Palladam, Sulur, Pongalur and Madukkarai remained hit on Tuesday.
The pipeline burst on Monday, causing a portion of the busy Tiruchi Road to cave in.
Water gushing out of the leak flooded the road and paralysed the traffic moving on the main road.
The crater caused by the burst and the works for replacing the damaged portion of the 600 mm Asbestos Concrete pipe resulted in the traffic on Tiruchi Road getting paralysed.
Workers were busy since Monday evening excavating the earth and damaged portions of the pipeline.
A pipeline of 600 mm diameter with a length of four metres from the TWAD Board yard at Vilankurichi was being taken to the site.
Ongoing restoration works resulted in closure of one part of the Tiruchi Road forcing the vehicles in either direction to use the remaining part of the road.
This resulted in traffic piling up on either side for several km leaving the police on their toes.
TWAD Board officials said that late in the night on Tuesday, when the traffic thins down, the pipeline would be placed at the damaged portion of the pipeline and both ends of the new pipe would be fixed with the existing main pipeline using a cast iron detachable joint.
The entire work would take only three to four hours after 9 p.m. on Tuesday night. Officials expect the work to be completed late in the night or early in the morning on Wednesday.
Pumping of water would be done gradually and the quantum would be increased.
Water is expected to reach the tail-end areas on Wednesday night and a normal water supply could be resumed in areas such as Sulur, Palladam, Pongalur and Madukkarai from Thursday morning.
Decision
TWAD officials pointed out that such huge asbestos cement pipes were used for the first time and given the experiences of breach and burst in the pipeline, a decision has been taken to replace the asbestos cement pipeline with mild steel pipes and ductile iron pipes.
The Pilloor scheme for Palladam Municipality and 965 wayside habitations with a pipeline length of 50 km would get the pipes replaced within the next few months, the official added.
The asbestos cement pipeline and pre-stressed concrete pipes in the Pilloor Phase I scheme for Coimbatore Corporation has been already replaced with mild-steel pipes following frequent breaches and bursts affecting the water supply schedule frequently.
