98% of water supply reinstated, claims KWA a week after storage tank collapse in Kochi

A week after the storage tank burst at Thammanam, the water supply has almost been fully restored, says the Kerala Water Authority (KWA). Around 98% of the supply has been restored. Consumers at the tail end are still facing issues, and this will be addressed soon, add KWA sources.

The drinking water supply to 30% of areas within the Kochi Corporation and nearby local bodies was affected after the sidewall of one of the chambers of the twin-chambered storage tank of the KWA collapsed. Pumping is currently being carried out through the second chamber, which was unaffected.

Earlier, pumping was carried out for seven hours through both chambers. “We are maintaining the same pumping hours as before, split across three time slots. Not many issues have been observed in the field, and 98% of the supply has been reinstated. We are working to address issues in the remaining areas where the supply is affected,” the sources say.

The safety audit of all water storage tanks within the Kochi Corporation limits will be carried out after the present crisis is resolved, they add. At present, there are 14 water storage tanks in the corporation limits, including both overhead tanks and ground-level tanks, officials say.

The redesign of chamber 1, which collapsed, is also under way. The tank, commissioned in 1985, partially collapsed after the foundation sank into the soil, they add.