Work on the Ernakulam North Railway Overbridge has hit a roadblock. A damaged Kerala Water Authority (KWA) pipeline has prevented work on the overbridge for the past 10 days.
This comes as a big blow to the project which is scheduled to open in the middle of November.
The KWA pipeline on the Lissie Hospital side of the overbridge was damaged during piling work.
The pipeline has to be either rerouted or temporarily terminated on both sides of the pile cap for work to progress.
It has been alleged that the KWA has so far failed to take up the matter.
However, a KWA official denied allegations that work on the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) project had been held up owing to delay in plugging a leak. Work was also not being delayed because rerouting work had not yet been done, he said.
The DMRC, which is building the new ROB, has completed about 85 per cent of the work. The agency is learnt to be in the process of fixing a date for its inauguration. The major work that remains to be attended includes work on the ramps.
KWA officials said the leak had been plugged two days ago, but work to reroute the pipe was yet to start.
Crucial supply line
The 100-mm asbestos cement pipe provides water to about 20 households on SRM Road.
The supply line will have to be recharged with another line before cutting out the one holding up work on the overbridge.
Work to repair the pipeline would hold up one-lane traffic on the narrow road, said the KWA official.
“It is not a major work, but it will definitely affect the traffic flow,” he said. KWA is also considering repairing the pipeline at night to reduce inconvenience to commuters.
