Bengaluru: The city's watermen have undertaken an epic challenge: Disinfecting a newly laid Cauvery water pipeline with a staggering 10,000kg of bleaching powder!
In a mission unlike anything Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) had tackled before, workers rolled up their sleeves and got to scrubbing the pipeline at RK Hegde Nagar in order to restore the purity of water to be supplied to localities in east Bengaluru under the Cauvery Water Supply Scheme V Stage.
But what warranted this massive clean-up? BWSSB officials pointed to an illegal plumbing job done by a local resident who had connected the sanitary pipe of his residence to the Cauvery water pipeline. So, all the waste from the toilets and the kitchen ended up in the pipeline.
In fact, the contamination came to the fore when, on Nov 12, the pipeline burst due to high pressure when water was released to test the transmission line. Nearly 5 million litres of water was wasted before the situation was brought under control the same night. Water gushed out, touching up to the third floor of a neighbouring building. The office of an NGO, located in the building, got flooded and the damage caused was estimated to be around Rs 75 lakh.
"It was an unprecedented situation," BWSSB executive engineer Deepak KV said. "We had to step in and clean up the mess. By removing the air valve from the top and using disinfectant powder (bleaching powder) of 200 bags each weighing 50kg, disinfection is being done by flushing out water. To clean the pipeline, men were at work from 8am to 6pm on Thursday. Shortly, we'll assess water samples upstream to ensure the water isn't contaminated. If the water is fit for consumption, only then will regular supply start." All safety parameters will be monitored and protocols checked for one week, he added.
The water authority has filed a police complaint against the resident who illegally connected his sanitary pipe to the water pipeline. "After the pipeline burst, more than 5 million litres of water was wasted. Besides that, we also used gallons of water to flush out the dirt. The repair of the pipeline and restoration of the road also have financial implications. We'll submit all the details to police," the official said.