The water woes of about three lakh people in the city, due to the sinking of the collection well of 10-MGD treatment plant at Ramalingeswara Nagar, are likely to end on Wednesday as the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) on Tuesday carried out necessary repairs to the damaged pipelines.
The officials made a trial run on Tuesday afternoon, and noticed that there was a leak due to damage of a valve. The officials stated that they would be able to restore water supply by Wednesday morning if the valve could be repaired by midnight.
The Corporation officials said that it would take half a day to pump and fill the reservoirs. Hence, water supply would be restored only by Wednesday evening, if the repair works continued beyond midnight. The officials elevated the motors at the collection well to restore the water supply temporarily as sand entered it.
The Corporation would have to pump out the sand, and carry out the necessary repair works to the well for permanent restoration of water supply.
As many as five reservoirs – one each at JD Nagar, Srinivasa Nagar Bank Colony, Ranigarithota, Ramalingeswara Nagar and Nelson Mandela Park – are served by the Ramalingeswara Nagar plant. These reservoirs cater to the needs of population in Krishnalanka, Raningarithota, Patamata, Gunadala, and colonies up to Ayyappa Nagar near Autonagar.
About three lakh population faced hardship since Sunday when the collection well at Ramalingeswara Nagar sunk by one and half feet. The VMC officials, alternatively, provided water supply through tankers.
The officials said that they pressed more than 30 water tankers, including those of the Rural Water Supply (RWS), into service.
Fire tenders too were put to use to supply water to some areas.
There are six fire tenders – two at control room and one each at Krishnalanka, Ajit Singh Nagar, Rajiv Nagar and Auto Nagar – in the city. The officials said they were permitted to use the fire tenders as three lakh people were suffering.
Many people were provided water through the tankers belonging to the trusts floated by political leaders like Vallabhaneni Vamsi and Dasari Balavardhana Rao. They supplied water freely to several colonies abutting Pantakaluva road and in Patamata.
There was criticism that the Corporation completely ignored the services of fire services department, which played a pivotal role during the massive floods in the Krishna in November last. When the flood water entered KL Rao Head Water Works and water supply was hit, fire services personnel pumped out water then, it was pointed out.
