Trichy: Lakhs of litres of drinking water went waste after a major burst in the drinking water pipeline under the Cauvery Combined Drinking Water Scheme near Manapparai in Trichy district on Sunday evening.
Incident Details
The burst occurred in the line carrying Cauvery water at Kavalkaranpatti on the Manapparai–Thuvarankurichi road. The pipeline transports river water from Vathiyam near Kulithalai in Karur district to Melur in Madurai district. Water gushed out with tremendous force, shooting up several feet high for more than an hour, flooding the Thuvarankurichi-Vaiyampatti road.
Response and Repairs
On being informed by residents, the Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage (TWAD) Board stopped pumping. TWAD staff later plugged the ruptured section of the pipeline. The swift action helped contain the situation, but not before a significant amount of water was lost.
Residents' Concerns
Following the incident, residents expressed serious concerns over the poor maintenance of pipelines under the inter-district Cauvery drinking water scheme. They demanded better monitoring and regular inspections to prevent such wastage in the future. The incident highlights the vulnerability of aging infrastructure and the need for urgent upgrades.
