Breach in main Narmada pipe line in Kucth: Lakhs of liters of water wasted, supply likely to be affected for 2 days

Bhuj: Lakhs of liters of water wasted in Bhachau area of water-scanty Kutch district of Gujarat today owing to a major breakage in one of the main pipe lines carrying Narmada water to this bordering district.

Water supply in Kutch district is also likely to be affected for two days owing to the incident.

The main pipe line suffered a breakage near Chirai village which caused a massive fountain of water of more than seven to eight feet in diameter reaching up to a height of an estimated over 15 ft. The incident took place at around 7 am this morning.

A lake like scene was created owing to large-scale flow of water in the area which is otherwise infamous for scanty rains and recurring water problems.

Senior Manager of Gujarat Water Infrastructure Limited, the company of the state government which establish bulk water pipe grid based on Narmada water, C B Zala said that the water supply line was closed as soon as the incident was reported but it would take almost 24 hours for the flow of water to stop owing to remaining water in the pipe. The repairing of the breakage would be done on a war-footing after that. The water supply to Kutch would remain affected for one of two days and would likely resume after Monday afternoon.

He said that the incident has taken place in a saline climate area. ‘The iron pipe shrinks in cold weather while it expands in summer and the place where the incident has happened was of saline in nature by climate, which corrodes the pipe. This must have led to the breakage,’ Zala said adding that the pipe line was around 15 years old.

DeshGujarat