Tatipudi water supply pipeline bursts in Visakhapatnam

Early Tuesday morning, the Tatipudi water supply pipeline at Kancharapalem Mettu burst causing some major flooding in nearby areas in Visakhapatnam. The incident occurred at 4:30 am waking up the neighbouring residents with a loud crash. The rampaging water flooded the main road. It also entered the cellar parking area of a  nearby apartment, thereby submerging a number of parked vehicles. The water also flooded the watchman’s quarters and ended up damaging some electrical appliances and food.  Due to the burst, a portion of the nearby road had also caved in.

This incident has added to the existing queries on the quality and maintenance of the pipeline which supplies water from the Tatipudi reservoir to Visakhapatnam city.  The Greater Visakha Muncipal Corporation (GVMC) had replaced the 62 km pipeline, under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), at a cost of Rs. 81 crore in 2011. However, upon completion, the pipeline has faced a lot of leaks and bursts. An existing issue is the thickness of the pipe being 2 mm in some parts of its line. Additionally, as the Tatipudi pipeline runs under the BRTS Road, the pressure from the vehicles is also affecting its functioning and durability.

Reportedly, in the last eight years, the GVMC has incurred a repairs and replacement cost of approximately Rs. 1 crore.  Water supply to the nearby industrial units, such as HPCL and Coromandel, has also been affected due to the morning mishap. However, the municipal officials took precautionary action by shutting the valves to prevent from more water being wasted. Repair works of the Tatipudi pipeline are currently underway.