Pipeline bursts again at Kaloor, residents stage protest

A few hours after the Kerala Water Authority (KWA) completed the repair work and resumed pumping through the pipeline that burst on Friday near metro pillar 540 at Kaloor, another pipeline located around 10 metres away burst on Monday, prompting residents to protest.

The pipe burst caused water to gush out and inundate the stretch between Kaloor and Palarivattom near St. Martin’s Church, causing traffic jam. Residents who had been facing water scarcity after the previous incident blocked the road, demanding suspension of piling works by Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL).

District Collector G. Priyanka visited the site and interacted with the residents. She has called a meeting of the Kerala State Electricity Board, KMRL, KWA, and people’s representatives on Tuesday morning to discuss the issue.

According to the KWA, the pipeline will be repaired on Tuesday, and supply will resume by evening. However, it will take until Thursday for water supply to be restored fully in areas such as Cheranalloor and parts of Palarivattam, Kaloor, and Thammanam.

KMRL officials informed that piling in the area would be suspended until the repair work was completed. Further, the metro agency will deploy tankers to supply water in the affected areas.

Thrikkakara MLA Uma Thomas visited the site late in the evening.

Earlier, water supply to several parts of the city was disrupted after a 300-mm cast iron pipe burst near the metro pillar at Kaloor. The affected regions included Palarivattom, Kaloor, Edappally, Ponekkara, and parts of Cheranalloor and Thammanam. The latest rupture occurred shortly after the repair works were completed and pumping had resumed.

Meanwhile, the KWA said pumping was not suspended following the incident on Monday, considering the accute water scarcity faced by the public during the past few days. Even as water continued to spill onto the road, the authority made arrangements to pump it out.