When the city is witnessing frequent protests demanding
regular supply of drinking water, 10 million litres of water were
discharged on the roads and in drains on Sarada College Road here on
Wednesday morning, for carrying out repair works in the main pipeline of
Mettur — Salem — Attur Combined Water Supply Scheme.

To
repair the water leakage in the pipeline near Deiveegam Tirumana
Mandapam, Gopal Street and Vasaga Street in Ponnammapet by the Tamil
Nadu Water Supply and Drainage Board (TWAD), water was released through
valves at many places.

Corporation officials said
that the scheme, implemented in 1996, supplies about 59 million litres
of water every day (MLD) to the City Municipal Corporation.

Due
to the movement of rubber joints between the pre-stressed 20 metre
concrete pipelines, leakage of water occurs and main valves near Arabic
College and Johnsanpettai had to be closed.

“Water in the 10 km long pipeline has to be completely discharged before carrying out repair works,” they added.

Road
users and residents were in for a shock to see the water being wasted
and said that the civic body could have made some arrangements to load
the water in the lorries or could have utilised it in some other way.

“Frequent
repairs were carried out in the pipelines in this road and hence steps
should be taken to utilise the water,” said a member of Residential
Welfare Association in Fairlands.

Corporation
officials said that cement mortar lining mild steel pipelines were being
used for the Mettur — Salem dedicated water supply scheme and the
joints were welded.

‘Hence there is no chance of leakages,” they added further.