A technical snag in a high-power drinking water pump of the Kerala Water Authority (KWA) has led to disruption of potable water supply in some parts of the city.
A 200-HP water pump of the Thammanam pump house of the KWA had developed technical snag on September 14. The winding of the pump caught fire the day before Onam, forcing the authorities to stop pumping of water to some areas in the Edappally region. Though one of the pump sets had to be pulled out of service, the duration of pumping using the other pumps was increased to ensure adequate water supply. There had not been any fall in the volume of water that is pumped and also the intake at the intake wells in the Periyar from where the water is drawn for treatment and supply to consumers, claimed KWA officials.
Water supply pipelines in some regions in Edappally went dry for around four days, including the Onam day, as workshops that usually attend to such repair works were closed on account of the holidays. However, KWA officials said its contractors managed to get the motor rewinding done. It would take one more day for the pump to become operational. The pumping of drinking water was likely to be restored by Wednesday morning, the officials claimed.
Despite the snag, what saved the day for the KWA as well as consumers was the dip in consumption during the Onam holidays. A section of the floating population of the city would go back to their hometowns during the holidays, which resulted in a fall in the volume of consumption, the officials pointed out.
They have also started looking into the suspected case of clogged supply pipelines in some parts of Edappally where consumers have raised complaints about disruption of water supply.
Published - September 17, 2024 09:21 pm IST
