Contractor breaks pipe, Ponda areas waterless

Ponda: A road contractor damaged a major water pipeline at Kerye-Khandepar in Ponda taluka, leaving the Panchami ward of Khandepar and parts of Usgao waterless on Thursday afternoon. A fountain shot out as high as 80m from the damaged point of the line.

Locals said this is the fifth case in recent times of a contractor breaching water pipelines. In the first three incidents, the contractor had damaged a small distribution network. However, in Thursday’s case, the major pipeline that carries potable water from the Opa water treatment plant to the Takwada-Usgao water tank was hit. The same contractor had damaged the same line on Dec 10.

The PWD’s water division official said that in the newest case, the 250mm ductile iron pipeline was damaged. Since the line carries water to the Usgao ground level reservoir, the water pressure is intense — water can shoot up to 100m from a burst spot of a pipe.

The breakage resulted in a restriction of water supply to Tisk-Usgao and parts of the Dharbandora panchayat area.

The pipeline was repaired by the evening and water was released, an official said.