Pipeline installation: KMC to seek expenditure of `50 lakh from HMC

Kolkata: The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) will seek expenditure for installation of a new pipeline at Salkia, Howrah from Howrah Municipal Corporation (HMC). The pipeline was put up in a record time of eight days by KMC's Water Supply department during the full lockdown period in the month of June when the existing pipeline of HMC suddenly cracked and led to a serious scarcity of water in North Howrah.

"We have installed the new pipeline in HMC for restoration of water supply in June when the HMC had requested us to do the needful as they needed to normalise the water supply on a war footing. Engineers from our Water Supply department worked overnight to finish the work in a short span of eight days when other agencies had said that they would take at least a month for executing the same work," said Firhad Hakim, Chairman Board of Administrators, KMC.

The KMC will be seeking around Rs 50 lakhs from HMC as the total expense incurred for the work. The matter of seeking funds has already been approved at the recent meeting of the Members of the BOA recently.

The pipeline that had developed crack originated from Salkia booster pumping station and passed through ward 3 of HMC under a community hall and supplied water to major parts in North Howrah. The crack in the pipeline not only led to water scarcity but also flooded a major portion in and around the community hall, informed an official of KMC. There was the apprehension of the community hall getting damaged due to the massive leakage of water.

"It was an emergency situation and amidst the lockdown period, we were struggling to rope in agencies for taking the restoration work which needed to be executed in a war

footing. We sought help from the KMC and they responded immediately," said a senior HMC official.

He added that the new pipeline that has been installed is almost 60 m in length.