Water pipeline burst floods road in Perungudi, leads to power outage

A 800 mm water pipeline burst on VKB Street outside Perungudi water headworks on January 26, with water gushing out, flooding the road and damaging a transformer. Chennai Metrowater is now carrying out rectification works.

A 800 mm water pipeline burst on VKB Street outside Perungudi water headworks on January 26, with water gushing out, flooding the road and damaging a transformer. Chennai Metrowater is now carrying out rectification works.

The compound wall of an apartment complex on the road also collapsed owing to the pressure of water that gushed out of the broken pipeline.

Several houses in Perungudi suffered power outage for many hours and power supply is being restored from alternate source.

Meanwhile, team from Chennai Metrowater started dewatering the flooded road and initiated rectification work.

Officials said the delivery main pipeline carrying drinking water from headworks to households in Perungudi was punctured during earthwork for constructing stormwater drain. Greater Chennai Corporation was executing SWD work in depot 184 of Perungudi. As water was being pumped in high pressure from overhead tank, a portion of the pipeline got dislocated during digging work, leading to burst.

The rectification work would completed by Saturday and water supply would be resumed by Sunday. Residents are being provided with mobile water supply until piped water distribution is restored, said an official.

Water supply network was laid and commissioned in 2021 in the area and about four million litres of water was provided from the headworks on alternate days, the official added.