Pipeline row: Kerala Water Authority constitutes team of engineers, prepares fresh schedule for completing work

The Kerala Water Authority (KWA) has constituted a team of engineers for resuming the laying of a sewage pipeline at Anayara on a war-footing. The team has been tasked with completing the work by July 6, as per a fresh schedule prepared by the KWA.

The Kerala Water Authority (KWA) has constituted a team of engineers for resuming the laying of a sewage pipeline at Anayara on a war-footing. The team has been tasked with completing the work by July 6, as per a fresh schedule prepared by the KWA.

The work was halted several weeks ago after the horizontal directional drilling (HDD) machine, used for laying the pipes beneath the ground, developed a snag on its hydraulic motor. The delay triggered protests in the area as the pipes are dumped on a narrow road, causing inconvenience to the residents.

According to a KWA order, once the drill reaches Thiruvananthapuram after repairs, the pipe-laying work will be resumed with day-and-night shifts. The engineers’ team was formed on the instructions of Water Resources Minister Roshy Augustine.

As per the latest updates, the drilling machine is likely to reach Thiruvananthapuram over the weekend. Trials carried out on the drilling machine in Chennai on Thursday were not successful, causing a slight delay in trucking it to Thiruvananthapuram, Mr. Augustine’s office said in an update. Directions have been issued to complete the repairs and trials by Friday.

The snag was identified in the hydraulic motor of the HDD machine. Spare parts, which included new bearings and a rotary group kit, had to be flown in from China. They reached Chennai last week, and the repairs are in progress.

KWA is laying the new sewage pipeline – a 600 mm pipeline encased in a 900 mm HDPE pipe – from the pumphouse at Edathara to the Sewage Treatment Plant at Muttathara. The machine broke down as work was underway at the Maharaja’s Lane, Anayara.

Two weeks ago, the State Human Rights Commission had directed the KWA to take urgent steps to remove the pipes as they were obstructing free movement through the narrow road.