The water supply pipeline that had burst during the Kochi Metro work at Kaloor was expected to be repaired by late night on Wednesday.
Residents of the area had been deprived of water supply for the last two days since the pipe broke Monday evening.
Senior Kerala Water Authority officials supervising the work said that the damaged portion of the pipe has been cut out. New piece of pipe of cast iron could be fabricated only after getting the exact measurement of the broken pipe; hence the delay, said an official.
The huge quantity of water that needed to be pumped out had delayed the work earlier. The pipe has a 600 mm diameter and is one of the main pipes distributing water to Kaloor and surrounding areas.
KWA officials said that the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation had arranged the work through KWA contractors while the KWA is providing technical supervision.
The exact location of the damaged portion of the pipe is near the boundary of the barricade, hence access to the pipe is only by excavating underneath the road where traffic is in full flow.
The road is being supported by sandbags, but the workers involved in pipe repair are dangerously poised as there is a danger of road caving in, said an official.
However, senior police personnel from traffic who inspected the site did not allow the traffic to be blocked on the road. Instead, it was directed to carry out the work late into the night.
