Major work: Water supply to be hit today

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Most areas in the city would go dry on Saturday owing to urgent repairs on a water supply main. According to Kerala Water Authority (KWA) officials, water supply will be disrupted from 10 am to 5 pm as repairs are to be undertaken on a valve on the pipeline at Ambalamukku.  Supply to the following places under the Pattoor, Palayam and Kowdiar sections of the KWA will be disrupted; Vellayambalam, Sasthamangalam, Vazhuthacaud, Thycaud, Jagathy, Palayam, Statue, Overbridge, Pattoor, Chakkai, Kannammoola, Gowreesapattom, Kunnukuzhy, Shangumugham, Veli, Plamoodu, PMG, Pettah, Valiyathura, Airport, Thumba, Kesavadasapuram, Pattom, Kumarapuram, Burma Road, Jawahar Nagar and Harvey Puram.  The 1,200 mm pipeline which takes water from Aruvikkara has an inter-connection near Ambalamukku. Here, there is a primo pipeline branch which is connected to the distribution line going to Peroorkada. It is the valve on this pipeline which has developed a technical snag.  This valve is behind Thankamma Stadium in Peroorkada. “If the valve is fully closed, that will bring down the water level in Peroorkada tank. But if it fully opened, that would affect the water level at the Observatory tank. So, it has to be always kept in a balance so that the water level of both reservoirs are kept steady,” said a KWA official.  It so happened that as part of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)-assisted water supply work currently on near Ambalamukku, this particular valve was closed. “There was some problem with the alignment of the JICA work and that of this pipeline. In order to rectify the same, the valve was closed on Thursday. Then the water level at Peroorkada came down. Once the JICA work got over, the valve was opened. But even, then the water level at Peroorkada was not improving, which meant there was some problem with the valve,” an official said. It was the Blue Brigade team that had carried out the valve closure and opening. When they inspected the valve on Friday morning, it was found to be stuck. The KWA officials who visited the spot later in the day decided to undertake the repair work, for which the pumping from Aruvikkara has to stopped. As of now, the KWA would be taking out the valve, repairing it and welding it back. But if that doesn’t work, some temporary arrangement would be made for the time being and the valve would be replaced later, by effecting a shutdown at Aruvikkara.