Water supply to be disrupted again

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala Water Authority (KWA) will have to stop the pumping again from Aruvikkara in connection with the repair work on the damaged valve on the pipeline near Ambalamukku. The date has not been fixed. It was on Saturday that the KWA undertook the repair on the valve, for which the pumping was stopped from 10 am to 5 pm. The KWA officials had informed then itself that if the snag couldn’t be permanently repaired, a temporary arrangement would be made and the repair work would be carried out at a later date.  “The valve couldn’t be repaired permanently on Saturday. We’ve now made a temporary arrangement at the spot and the valve is currently being repaired. To place that back, we have to stop the pumping again. The date has not been fixed,” said a KWA official.   The 1,200-mm pipeline which takes water from Aruvikkara has an interconnection near Ambalamukku. Here, a primo pipeline branch is connected to the distribution line going to Peroorkkada and it is the valve on this pipeline, located behind the Thankamma Stadium at Peroorkada, which had developed a technical snag.  The valve has to be kept operational in such a way that the water level of the reservoirs at Aruvikkara and Peroorkada are kept steady.  It is neither fully opened nor fully closed. However, last Thursday, in order to undertake a work in connection with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)-assisted water supply work, this particular valve was closed, following which the water level at Peroorkada reservoir came down. Though the valve was opened after the work, the water level didn’t improve, which suggested that there was some problem with the valve. It was found on Friday morning that the valve had got stuck. So, it was decided to repair the valve, for which pumping was stopped on Saturday.