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Pilloor line burst stops drinking water supply

Special Correspondent

COIMBATORE: A burst in the Pilloor scheme’s main line on Wednesday stopped the daily supply of 125 million litres of drinking water to the eastern parts of the city and more than 500 panchayats elsewhere in the district.

The city may get next supply of Pilloor water only on Saturday or Sunday.

The burst occurred around 6 a.m. near the scheme’s treatment plant and pumping station at Velliangadu, about 40 km north of the city.

It blew a large hole over a three ft length of a 20 ft long 1500 mm pre-stressed concrete pipe.

An official from the Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage Board said an air lock in the line caused the burst.

The air lock disrupted supply and caused a strong backflow of water. When this clashed with the onward flow, it led to the water hammer pressure that broke the pipe.

The official said round-the-clock work was on at the burst site to replace the damaged pre-stressed concrete pipe with one made of mild steel as it could withstand water hammer pressure.

Only a month ago, a leak in the pipeline joints at Vayyampalayam (more than 20 km north of the city) disrupted supply for three days.

The fresh disruption came even as the Coimbatore Corporation found that the problems in supply caused by the earlier one were yet to be sorted out. Fortunately, the latest disruption happened when the water level had risen in the Siruvani Dam. Water Board and Corporation officials said the pumping of water from Velliangadu would be stopped for three days (Wednesday included).

The repair works, including the replacement of the damaged line, were expected to be over only on Friday. Pumping of water would resume that evening, a press release from the water board said.

Even if the pumping of water resumed then, the Corporation’s daily quota of 65 million litres would reach its tanks only on Saturday morning.

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