Pipes supplying drinking water have gone dry in Kochi city and adjoining areas since Tuesday afternoon following a power disruption at the Aluva Pumping plant of the Kerala Water Authority (KWA). The disruption in the supply has hit hundreds of consumers across the city and the neighbouring local bodies.
Besides the Kochi Corporation area, water supply was disrupted in Cheranalloor, Aluva, Kalamassery, Mulavukad, Vypeen, and Edappally areas.
The power supply to the plant was disrupted as the underground power supply cable laid by the Kerala State Electricity Board was snapped. The cable was broken at around 1 p.m. on the day following a trenching carried out just outside the water treatment plant in Aluva. Identifying the area where the snapped cable was located was not easy as it was laid underground. An expert team of the Board arrived at the scene on the day to locate the damaged area, said a senior official of the KWA.
The accident has caught the KSEB officials off-guard. Usually, the Board ensures an uninterrupted power supply at the plant when some repair works are planned. No one expected the snapping of power cables that were laid deep in the ground, said the official.
KWA officials were hopeful of restarting the drinking water supply within one hour of restoring the power connection.
However, it may take some time for the drinking water to reach the tail-ends of the pipelines. Water supply could be fully restored by Wednesday night, said the KWA official.
The Aluva plant provides 325 million litres of drinking water a day. With the plant being shut down, only the drinking water from the Nettoor treatment plant would be available for consumers. The Nettoor treatment plant caters to only one-third of the supply to the city and neighbouring areas.
Published – October 09, 2024 08:23 am IST