Kolkata’s water crisis: Talla pipeline burst exposes civic challenges
A pipeline burst beneath Talla Bridge triggered a widespread water crisis across Kolkata, raising questions about civic preparedness, delayed repairs and the absence of elected representatives.
While there is no mayor or mayor-in-council, residents in large portions of Kolkata were hit by a huge civic crisis after a drinking water pipeline burst underneath Talla Bridge near Talla Railway Crossing. This caused the railway tracks and surrounding roads to flood. The incident occurred on Monday morning, temporarily disrupting the city. However, this wasn’t the end of the story. From the next day onwards, a number of localities across north, central and south Kolkata experienced an acute water crisis. Some areas saw reduced water pressure, while others experienced a complete disruption in water supply.
Even up until Wednesday, a number of localities within Wards 18 and 19 in north Kolkata were experiencing water supply issues. These included Sonagachi Lane, Durgacharan Mitra Street, Imam Box Lane, Natherbagan and Sheikhpara. Issues were also reported in Talla, Shobhabazar, Kumartuli, Bagbazar, Maniktala, Bagmari, Entally, Girish Park, Ahiritola and Sealdah. AJC Bose Road and parts of Ballygunge and Kasba also experienced water supply disruptions.
What happened?
On Monday morning, a rupture occurred in an underground pipeline in the Talla railway yard. Around 8.30 am, a huge amount of water started leaking from the pipe after a loud bang. According to reports in The Times of India, a municipal official said that around five million gallons of water had leaked from the pipe. As the pipeline is located underneath the railway track, this caused flooding within the railway yard. Some areas saw roads flooded with knee-deep water. Pumps were put into place to reduce the amount of water, and electricity was temporarily cut off along Banamali Sarkar Street.
Why did the pipeline burst?
Minister of State for Municipal Affairs and Urban Development Umesh Rai said there were two leakages in the pipeline. Engineers have said that the pipeline wasn’t old enough to cause such an issue. However, the pipeline could have corroded over a long period of time, causing its joints to weaken. Water pressure issues and the surrounding infrastructure could also have caused the pipeline to rupture.
British pipeline
The pipeline is not new and dates back to the British era. The pipeline is around 72 inches (1,800 mm) in diameter. It is an important part of the city’s water supply system, delivering drinking water from the Talla water reservoir.
Why is the repair taking so long?
The pipeline is located under the railway track, buried around 20 feet underground. This makes it very difficult to repair. The pipeline also supplies water to a number of areas across the city. This causes difficulties during repairs, as the process will disrupt the water supply. If the pipeline is turned off without having an alternative arrangement in place, it could cause an even bigger water crisis.
The Kolkata Municipal Corporation is trying to find ways to reroute the water. It is trying to restore normal water supply using other pipelines. One of these is a pipeline that runs alongside Talla Bridge and is 1,200 mm in diameter. However, the civic body cannot start repairing the main pipeline until it has found an alternative arrangement and turned off the pipeline.
The Kolkata Municipal Corporation has arranged for water tankers to be sent to the affected localities. However, many residents complained on Tuesday and Wednesday that despite contacting the civic body multiple times, they hadn't received water tankers on time.
This has raised concerns about how the municipality is run. With the municipal elections caught in a prolonged period of uncertainty, a number of areas within the city have not had an elected councillor for a long time. There is also no mayor or mayor-in-council. It has been alleged that the absence of elected councillors has caused confusion among municipal officials.
Residents in Bagbazar said they had been experiencing an acute water shortage for two days. They said there weren't enough water tankers being sent to the area. Residents were unsure whom to contact as there was no councillor in their area. The absence of a public representative in their area has made things more difficult for them.
By 7 pm on Wednesday, arrangements had been made to send a total of 800 water tankers to the six municipal zones. Of the 480 complaints received via the council’s helpline, 338 had been resolved. However, many residents in the worst-hit areas had a different story to tell.
From 11 am on Thursday, drinking water was supplied to the affected areas. However, some residents said they were still not getting a proper flow of water from their taps.
The main pipeline hasn't been fully repaired yet. The civic body is trying to gradually restore water pressure to normal levels. However, it could be a little while before things return to normal.
