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.