the goan I network
MARGAO
Water supply via the 1400 dia Selaulim water pipeline was disrupted for some time on Tuesday noon after the air valve of the pipeline was damaged at Davorlim on the Sao Jose de Areal border in a waste clean up operation.
While the incident occurred at around 10 am when heavy earth moving machinery was pressed into service to clear up the waste from the locality, water from the pipeline gushed out in a huge fountain for around an hour and half before PWD officials intimated the Selaulim officials to stop water pumping in the underground line.
A senior PWD official Krishnaraj Shetkar told The Goan that the air valve has been mistakenly damaged when the bucket of the earth moving machinery was deployed in the area to clean up the waste.
"It has taken some time to stop water gushing out from the pipeline since it's the main 1400 dia underground line. It's a 26-km long line Selaulim line and it will take some time to plug the water flow," the engineer said, while exuding confidence that the valve will be repaired by evening.
Davorlim locals, however, cried foul saying those, who had ordered the clean up of the area with heavy machinery ought to have obtained permission from the PWD authorities. "It is surprising that no permission was obtained from the PWD before undertaking the clean up work when the main Selaulim line was passing underground," remarked a Davorlim villager.
