Board had requested replacement of the PSC pipes with mild steel pipes
The incident of the water pipeline bursting at Balapur could have been avoided
Hyderabad: The incident of the water pipeline bursting at Balapur could have been avoided if the state government had taken serious note of the Water Board recent recommendation. The Board had requested for a permanent solution, to replace the PSC (concrete) pipes with mild steel pipes in all the vulnerable stretches.
Every month there are at least five leakage repairs carried out on the main pipe. Every fortnight the Board has to shut down the complete supply to repair the damaged pipes in the main ring pipeline. Despite being a concrete pipeline, it broke at Balapur crossroads, causing the Water Board to lose five lakh gallons of water and losses of over Rs 10 lakh to local businesses.
The main reason for the leakages is the old pipeline network constructed with asbestos cement, RCC (reinforced concrete) or HDP (plastic pipes). The Board has sent a recommendation to change the network with mild steel (MS) pipes. Officials from the operation and maintenance wing of Water Board said that MS pipes were very easy to weld in place, were long lasting and eco friendly. Though more expensive, it would be easier to repair in case of leakages as the water could be removed with ease and welding could be done.
Experts suggest that the Board, with funds sanctioned by the government, should replace existing pipelines with MS pipes for networks above 600 mm diameter (main ring). For below 600 mm diameter they should use duct iron pipes. The officials added, “There has been zero planning for the network, especially in the merged municipalities; most of them have been built with asbestos cement pipes. Over Rs 3,100 crore is needed only for these merged municipalities. Also, more reservoirs are needed to store the water and the network infrastructure needs to be repaired, especially in these areas.”
( Source : deccan chronicle )
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