Burst pipeline replaced; water supply resumed (The Hindu 12 June 2012)

The Delhi Jal Board on Monday claimed that the water pipeline that burst on Friday night in Pitampura has been replaced and water supply resumed. The pipeline was damaged after an under-construction multi-level parking of the MCD collapsed. “The repair work was carried out round-the-clock, with the help of a fleet of excavators, generators, welding sets and a team of dedicated workers. In the meanwhile, to provide interim relief to the affected colonies of South and South-West Delhi, additional tankers from other areas were pressed into service and supply to the Palam reservoir, feeding these colonies, was also made through alternate sources,” said a DJB spokesperson. Rise in water level Referring to the cause of the building collapse, the spokesperson said: “Examination at the site and analysis of the ground situation revealed that the sub-soil water level inside the excavated pit for the car parking project of MCD, had risen during the last two to three days because the de-watering bore-wells were not functioning on account of some labour dispute with the MCD contractor. The rise in the water table resulted in saturation of the soil around the excavated pit which led to additional thrust on the sheet piling erected to retain the sub-soil outside the pit. It was further observed that the pit had been lying without much of construction activities for the last more than one year. The settlement of soil all around the sides of the excavated pit has caused damage not only to the DJB pipeline, but also to a MCD school building and shops in Shiva Market, where cracks have developed.” On Monday a DJB pipeline in South Patel Nagar also developed a leak. Unable to detect the exact spot of the leak, the DJB officials said the entire pipeline that has been affected is now being replaced.