Lokmat News Network
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:
Water from the new water supply scheme aimed at quenching the city’s thirst has begun moving towards the city. On the second day, Tuesday, the massive 2,500 mm diameter pipeline was filled with water up to a distance of 4 km. Approximately 20 million litres of water have been pumped so far. On Wednesday morning, the 3,700 horsepower pump will be restarted to continue filling the pipeline. The target is to clean and flush a total stretch of 9 km.
On Monday night, the 3,700 HP pump installed at the jackwell was ceremonially inaugurated by municipal commissioner G Sreekanth. The pipeline from Jayakwadi Dam to Paithan Sugar Factory, covering 4 km, had already been cleaned. The water pumped into the pipeline was released through scour valves. On Tuesday afternoon, the pump was restarted and operated for about an hour before being shut down at 2 pm due to a minor issue in the cooling system. After repairs, it was restarted and functioned smoothly until 7.15 pm. Once the pipeline was fully filled up to 4 km, the pump was stopped.
The water in the pipeline will be pushed further up to 9 km by Wednesday afternoon and then released again through scour valves, according to officials from the Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran (MJP) and GVPR company. The aim is to clean a 9 km stretch in this phase. The entire 38 km pipeline will be cleaned in stages using the same method, which is expected to take at least eight days. Planning is underway to ensure that water reaches the Nakshatrawadi water treatment plant by April 14, municipal commissioner G Sreekanth said.
Public Alert Measures Initiated
The process of pumping water from the jackwell into the pipeline using the 3,700 HP pump has been ongoing for the past two days. Scour valves have been installed at fixed intervals along the pipeline. Impure water is being released at locations where rivers and streams intersect, as part of the cleaning process.
A total of 12 such valve points have been identified, including Approach Bund Chainej, Sugar Factory, Dhangaon, Dhorkin, Kaudgaon, Nilajgaon, Pharola, R L Steel, Ajit Seeds, and Nisarg Nursery, where water will be discharged.
The release of water may create flood-like situations in these areas. However, authorities have assured that there is no need for panic. On Tuesday, announcements via loudspeakers were made in affected areas to alert residents in advance.