Pipelines can’t take the heat, too
The scorching summer heat took a toll on two pipelines on Saturday as they burst, once again highlighting the ill-effects of the heat on the city’s water distribution network. During summer, while there is a need to conserve water, the rising temperatures instead cause the water mains to burst, resulting in a huge wastage of water.
On Saturday, a 24-inch pipeline burst near Sewri railway station on Saturday evening, flooding the Harbour line tracks and disrupted the suburban railway movement in the peak hours, inconveniencing commuters. The residents of Sewri also had to face water cuts due to the burst.
On the same morning, a 48-inch water main at Tilak Nagar railway station burst, due to which lakhs of litres of water was wasted. According to civic officials, water mains, which are more than 80 years old, give way easily during summer times due to rising temperatures. Pipelines expand because of the excessive heat leading to bursts. The old structure of Tansa pipelines has further added to the problems,” said a senior civic official.
In March, a 72-mm water pipeline that supplies water to the city
burst near Bhiwandi, due to which 10 per cent water cuts were imposed in the western suburbs and in most parts of the island city.
“We have undertaken the replacement of British era Tansa pipelines. The problem will reduce considerably once the replacement work is over,” said the official.
Since the beginning of summer, the city has witnessed several major water main bursts. On April 8, one person drowned and 14 others suffered suffocation and injuries, when an underground water main pipeline burst and flooded their homes at Govandi (east).
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