Kolkata: 100 workers fix water line in just 6 hours – Times of India

Repair and maintenance work going on at Garden Reach water treatment plant on Thursday

KOLKATA: Water supply from Garden Reach Waterworks resumed ahead of the schedule on Thursday evening, with the engineering and maintenance team from Kolkata Municipal Corporation’s water supply department completing the work in double quick time despite being able to deploy only one-third of the workforce due to Covid restrictions.
“We had initially decided to go for a shutdown till dawn on Friday. But given the hot weather and difficulties that people face without water, we worked on a tight schedule and completed it by evening. Supply was resumed at 4.45 pm,” a KMC water supply department official said on Thursday. Water supply had been suspended at 10am.
However, it was an uphill task for the civic body to complete the work amid the pandemic where the civic engineers had to keep in mind the Covid-protocols while engaging mechanics and labourers for the repair and maintenance work conceded the civic official.
What should have been a routine shutdown turned into a major challenge for the civic body as it undertook the work and completed it on time with 100 workers instead of 300, who would have otherwise deployed.
Besides repairing leakages in major pipelines at Garden Reach Waterworks and routine maintenance of valves and electrical installations, the KMC also undertook installation of pipes and valves at the waterworks.
Pre-summer maintenance work was also undertaken at several water booster pumping stations in Kalighat, Chetla, Behala, Daspara, Siriti, Garfa, Bansdroni, Ranikuthi and Layelka.
The preventive maintenance work will help ensure uninterrupted supply during the summer months to entire Behala, Tollygunge, Jadavpur, Garia, Chetla, Kalighat, Rashbehari, Kasba, Garfa, Dhakuria, Golf Green, and some areas located adjacent to EM Bypass.
The last time KMC water supply department had taken up such a major repair work was at Garden Reach Waterworks in January. “We are trying to go for a comprehensive repair process keeping in mind heavy demand for potable water during peak of summer,” said a KMC senior official.