KMRL to pause piling work; KWA to relocate pipes to solve frequent pipe bursts

Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) will pause the pile works in the Padamugal, Vashakkala regions for ten days to give time to the Kerala Water Authority (KWA) pipeline displacement works.

The decision comes after frequent pipe explosions in the region and water supply pipes, which are dry in Thrikakara Municipality.

During the period, KWA will carry out the displacement works of the pipeline from Kunnumpuram to Kumaranasan Road. KMRL will start the pile work only after the displacement of the pipeline and the replaced pipeline is completed.

The decision was taken at a meeting between KMRL and KWA to solve the fixed pipeline explosion scenario in the municipality. KWA announced that the pipe change work will be completed within ten days. KMRL official, Kunnupuram’daki Pipe to the Kumaranasan Road completed and the transported pipeline was tested, he said.

A KWA official said that the displacement of the pipeline will bring a permanent solution to the pipe explosion problem. Authorized, “Many cables of various agencies prevent the commissioning of the current PVC KWA line through the service channel. The channel is full of cables, although it is fully provided for KWA,” he said.

KMRL invested 5 crore instead of old pipes. As part of the project, ductile iron and PVC pipes are installed to replace the old pipes.

Frequent pipe explosions had a lot of problems for the residents in the region, which regularly deteriorated drinking water supply. Thrikakara Mayor Radhamani Pilllai said that residents are fighting with acute water crisis due to frequent pipe explosions.

An official from KWA said that KMRL started to stake before the pipeline was replaced. “The change of pipelines could not be carried out due to rains. In addition, the problem has worsening because we were not warned about this pipe explosions. The whole area had no way to know about the pipe explosions,” he added.