The Hindu 17.08.2012
Stormwater drain work to continue on Panjagutta road
Old pipeline led to soil erosion
Now that the GHMC is giving finishing touches to the new manhole pit
atop a storm water pipeline near Model House where the road had caved in
last week, it is time to learn certain cold truths. Firstly, the road
collapse had nothing to do with the ongoing underground stormwater drain
work taken up by the municipal corporation for more than a year now. In
fact, a two-metre diameter pipeline laid a few months ago to prevent
water logging remains unaffected by the incident which sent the traffic
haywire. “We initially thought the storm water drain work could have led
to the mishap but soon we realised that an old underground pipeline
extending to the road median and its choked manhole led to the soil
erosion,” explained Engineering-in-Chief R. Dhan Singh.
Once the
leak point was identified with digging at different points and repair,
the traffic police was allowed to let vehicles on one side of the road.
With intermingling of sewer and storm water lines, there was continuous
flow and the catch pit was filled with garbage and old tyres resulting
in a reverse flow.
With layer upon layer of bitumen filled over
the years on the road which is under R&B department, neither the
manhole nor the pipeline was known to municipal officials till they dug
more than five metres deep. Intermingling telephone lines and high
tension power lines — three of them passing through the same space not
only compounded the chock.
It also prevented faster repair work
since power supply could not be cut as it was being supplied to VVIP
areas. After suction machine removed the accumulated sewage, the flow
was plugged near the manhole, concrete was poured and vehicles were also
allowed on the other side too save for the pit spot.
Mr. Singh
said this part would also be completed in a couple of days. It also gave
a chance for GHMC to press the contractor to speed up the storm water
drain work. “We have already issued notices and levied penalties too,”
he said. The entire project entails laying another pipeline underneath
and adjacent to the existing new one at a cost of Rs. 4.6 crore. It is
part of the 4.10 km network connecting the Banjara surplus lake or the
Jalagam Vengal Rao Park to Hussainsagar lake at an estimated cost of Rs.
29.28 crore.
