A burst pipe on a pumping main of the underground drainage system at Thillai Nagar has thrown the sewer network out of gear in some areas of the city.
A number of residents of Mela Chinthamani, Thillai Nagar, Thennur, Othakadai and neighbouring areas, which were part of the erstwhile Tiruchi municipality, complained that the household UGD connections failed to discharge into the sewer line over the past few days.
Following this, Tiruchi Corporation deployed a team of its engineers and field staff to find out the cause of the malfunction. They found out a major burst on a pumping main of the old UGD system near 11th Cross on Shastri Road in Thillai Nagar. A main pipe measuring 750 mm in diameter and 6 metres in length was found to have burst underground.
The civic body has deployed a 50-member team, including engineers, plumbers, electricians, fitters and welders, to set right the problem. Besides earth movers, sullage lorries were deployed to assist the operation. When they dug up the earth, a huge amount of sewerage burst out from the damaged pipe and began to overflow on Shastri Road, leaving a foul smell for about 500 meters around the clogged point. Since the sewage came out with considerable force, sullage collectors were pressed into service. A culvert situated near the site made the task of repairing the line difficult, officials said.
The area was cordoned off so as to prevent the onlookers assembling at the spot. The work that began in the afternoon of Monday continued beyond midnight. Fabrication work was also carried out so as to make suit the pipe with the old network.
After marathon work for several hours, the authorities replaced the worn out pipe on Tuesday morning.
“The pumping main was laid about 40 years ago. Increasing pressure along its course and the weak pipe apparently due to its age might have caused the burst. The problem has been set right,” a senior official of the Corporation told The Hindu.
It has been noticed that the backlog of sewage has started flowing in the UGD network. It will become normal within a day, the official added.
Engineers have been asked to keep a close watch on the functioning of the system.