Kolkata, Nov. 10 -- With repairs to an ageing water pipeline near Tala expected to take several days, the state government has begun arranging alternative water supplies to affected localities in north Kolkata, deploying tankers to areas facing acute shortages.
Urban Development minister Agnimitra Paul said on Tuesday that the government was monitoring the situation and had received complaints from several neighbourhoods where water supply had either stopped or fallen considerably following Monday's pipeline burst.
The minister urged residents facing shortages to report their problems so that tanker services could be arranged accordingly. Residents can call or WhatsApp 9831127522, providing details of their location and water supply difficulties. Kolkata Municipal Corporation officials are coordinating the response on the ground. Municipal Commissioner Smita Pandey and the civic body's assistant commissioners are among those overseeing the arrangements, the minister said.
Paul indicated that restoring normal supply would take time, given the extent of damage to the old pipeline. The repair operation would also involve replacing it with a line having nearly twice the diameter of the existing one.
The proposed increase in capacity is aimed at improving water flow and ensuring a more reliable supply, while reducing the chances of similar disruptions in future. Meanwhile, the civic authorities are relying on tanker services to meet residents' immediate drinking water requirements until the damaged pipeline is repaired and normal supply resumes.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.