Pumping of water from the Godavari lift scheme and from Yeleru canal after plugging the breach at Vajragada in Makavarapalem mandal began Monday afternoon.
The breach that occurred on Saturday morning was plugged by Sunday night but strengthening it took time, according to in-charge Municipal Commissioner S. Krishna Murthy.
The breach had resulted in loss of about 40 mgd of water hitting the municipality facing a severe scarcity hard. However, water was drawn from Kanithi Balancing Reservoir (KBR) reducing supply to the steel plant and from the Meghadrigedda reservoir and supply maintained, he said. About 120 mgd of water is being pumped from the lift scheme and Yeleru canal resulting in about 50 per cent realisation at the KBR.
The breach seemed to have been caused deliberately. Interestingly, a breach occurred on the same stretch in February too.
The water from the breached canal flows to two tanks nearby for drinking water needs and cattle. A formal police complaint would be made, an official said.
This was the third incident that had occurred in spite of patrolling on the bund. Besides the February breach, some toxic contamination had led to death of fish. The corporation spends more than Rs.40 lakhs a year on patrolling of six stretches.
Mr. Krishna Murthy admitted that the patrolling needed to be strengthened, particularly on a 15-km stretch. The road also needs improvement as it hardly allowed for passage of one vehicle. A machine has been deployed to strengthen the canal bund at various stretches, Superintendent Engineer V. Chandraiah, who supervised the plugging, said.
Meanwhile, the repair to a leak to the Raiwada pipeline at Akkayyapalem has resulted in water not being supplied to some areas on Sunday. It was restored on Monday.
