The Hindu 28.09.2010
Restoration of partial water supply from today
Staff Reporter
| No decision yet on total restoration, say VMC officials |
A team of engineers visit the plant
An expert from IIT, Madras, may visit on Oct. 1
VIJAYAWADA: Water supply from the 10-MDG treatment plant at Ramalingeswara Nagar will be restored partially by Tuesday morning. The Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) is, however, non-committal about total restoration of supply from the plant. The corporation higher-ups are yet to take a decision in this regard. The VMC could erect submersible pumps with a total capacity of only 120 HP so far, though they planned to install six 20-HP motors, two 40-HP motors and one 35-HP motor on Sunday. The remaining pump sets were erected on Monday evening. A total of 235 HP was planned to ensure supply of 4.5 million gallons of water per day. At present, the corporation is using three 180-HP pump sets. The existing pump sets were kept aside after they pumped sand along with water.
The corporation could use only 80 HP and pump water to the reservoirs. The officials hoped that they would be able to restore water supply partially by Tuesday morning. They, however, said “no decision has been taken with regard to total restoration.”
Pump sets examined
A two-member team of service engineers from Kirloskar company visited the plant and examined the three 180-HP pump sets which were in use till a couple of days ago. These pump sets created tremors in the vicinity and also pumped out sand along with water. The service engineers would spell out suggestions on Tuesday.
The VMC officials said on Monday that S.R. Gandhi, an expert from IIT Madras, was expected to visit the plant on October 1. Prof. Gandhi would study the problem and suggest possible measures to revive the collection well, which sunk by one and half feet. The sand blew up in the well as the base reportedly got damaged.
