Restoration work on the burst Tatipudi pipeline work began on Friday. The debris at the site near BSNL office where the burst occurred was removed and further digging taken up to enable repair.
The burst caused a 2x2 foot hole in the 800 mm pipeline that runs 60 km from Tatipudi reservoir in Vizianagaram district to Town Service Reservoir. The jet of water rose five to six feet from below, flattened a wall nearby and gushed into the low-lying BSNL Office premises and VUDA Colony. Official estimates that 1000 KL of water flowed out. It's mere providence that no human beings happened to be in proximity when the powerful burst occurred.
The hole in the bar-wrapped steel pipe will now be welded and covered with cement, an official supervising the work said.
Municipal Commissioner M. Hari Narayanan on Friday morning visited the site and instructed that the repairs be completed at the earliest to restore water supply.
Apart from the BRTS road laid after the pipeline was formed, the coming up of unauthorised shops above the pipeline is exerting pressure on the pipeline and wear and tear adds its bit.
There is no way to assess the condition of pipeline and the wear and tear unless a leak occurs, say sources.
“Ideally, a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system along the pipeline will help in keeping track of the status. Now there is no means of doing it,” he says.
The burst of Tatipudi pipeline has been occurring on BRTS stretch alone, said officials. The presence of around 70 shops in the Gopalapatnam area with pucca construction is a cause of worry to officials. ‘The pipeline is designed to withstand pressure of water but not that of constructions,’ says Superintendent Engineer Pallam Raju. When there is fluctuation in voltage resulting in building of pressure bursts occur, he explains.
Residents' concern
Residents of VUDA Colony are extremely worried about recurrence of such incidents. A few years ago oozing of water continuously flowing through the drains caused concerns about safety of houses. Residents' association president Ch. Bhaskar Rao said though alternative sites were given to the shop-keepers more than a decade ago they continue to run their business from there. Attempts to get the shops regularised earlier failed as they fall in commercial category, he said. But now attempts at regularisation were being made under another GO paying the prescribed amount, he alleged.
He expressed the fear that the pressure on the pipeline owing to construction would affect houses in the colony.
