The Times of India            26.08.2013

MC plans to separate water pipelines

CHANDIGARH: Disruption in Phase IV water supply pipeline due to damage interrupted supply from Phase III, which carries 20 MGD water to the city. Significantly, Phase III and IV pipelines have a joint head at Kajauli canal to draw water and a joint exit to release. Hence, in case of a problem in either of these pipes, another supply pipeline dries up.

The MC now plans to separate the lines. Work will start in the winter when demand reduces. A financial estimate of the project has also been prepared. 'The first two pipelines of Phase I and II are made of MS pipeline and have separate headers to take water from the canal and supply to the city, but Phase III and IV pipelines are made of cement and have a single header to receive water from the canal. The problem was exacerbated because we could not use Phase III pipeline due to damage to Phase IV one. If these pipelines had separate headers, water could have been supplied through Phase III pipeline,' said an MC official.

According to municipal commissioner Vivek Partap Singh, 'We have completed the exercise of making separate headers for both Phase III and IV pipelines. Work will start in the winter, when demand and consumption of water goes down, so that people don't suffer shortage. The present disruption was quite major. Bad weather and rain made the work even more difficult.'

Officers of MC and Punjab Health Wing, their employees and labourers were at the site for repair work till night. Though most of the work was completed by Sunday evening, when supply was resumed for checking, valves of both phase III and IV water supply pipelines could not take the high pressure of water.