BWSSB Bangalore finally replaced Pipelines laid 70 years ago
The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) has finally galvanized itself into activity and taken up a mega-pipeline replacement project. Three key factors dictate the need for the project. Road-digging work for the Namma Metro project, road-widening projects as also the flyovers and underpasses being built by the BBMP and the BDA, which have damaged the pipelines over the years.
Bangalore’s water and sewage lines, some of them laid during the British era, are being finally replaced. Not many people know that the drinking water pipelines in Bangalore were laid over 70 years ago and their replacement is long overdue. Water pipes in the old areas of the City like Malleswaram, Chamarajpet and Chickpet were laid 50 years ago.
The BWSSB Bangalore used to replace water and sanitary pipelines only on complaints or whenever there was a major damage to the supply lines.
For a city with 4,000 km of pipelines (water and sanitary) in core areas and nearly 3,000 km of pipelines in the newly added old CMC areas, the BWSSB Bangalore has its hands full. The Board has proposed to replace at least 100 km of pipelines every year. Since 2008, it has already replaced 428 km of water pipelines at a cost of Rs 104.34 crore and 469 km of sanitary pipelines at a cost of Rs 80.19 crore.
The BWSSB Bangalore is changing all water lines from old CI (cast iron) pipes to DI (ductile iron) pipes. For sanitary lines, SWG (stoneware glazed) pipelines are used. The Board is also using MDPE pipelines (Medium Density Polyethylene) and Galvanised Pipes (GA pipes) to replace the old lines.
According to BWSSB Bangalore officials, the residents often complain about the mess in front of their houses whenever pipeline works are taken up. Procedure mandates that the engineers involved in the project wait for two days after relaying the lines to check if there is any leakage in the new lines. “The inspection of lines can be done only during supply time, but the residents do not wait till we complete our inspection. They just want the mess cleared,” laments an official.
Deccan Herald
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