Summer brings fresh woes as water pipelines burst in Perumbavoor

Perumbavoor: Residents of Perumbavoor are facing growing hardship as ageing water supply pipelines continue to burst frequently during the summer, leading to repeated disruptions and large-scale wastage of water.

In the latest incidents, pipelines burst near the Union Bank junction and on the road to the west of the Girls Higher Secondary School. The pipeline near the Union Bank had been leaking for nearly a week following the rupture, resulting in the wastage of thousands of litres of water. The leakage was finally repaired yesterday morning. However, the burst pipeline on the road near the Girls Higher Secondary School is yet to be fixed.

Authorities maintain that the decades old asbestos pipelines laid underground are prone to frequent ruptures. Under the AMRUT project, the old pipelines along K Hariharayyar Road were recently replaced with new iron pipes. However, water supply in most other parts of the town still continues through the ageing pipelines.

Water is supplied to Perumbavoor town as well as to Vengola panchayat from the treatment plant at Kanjirakkad. Meanwhile, pipelines carrying water to Vengola too have been bursting frequently. Although pipes for laying new lines under the Jal Jeevan Mission have already been brought to the area, the work has not yet begun as permission to dig the roads is still awaited.