The leak on the water supply pipeline at Vazhuthacaud was eventually plugged on Friday morning, allowing the Kerala Water Authority (KWA) to charge the line and resume supply.
KWA officials said the contractor for the Smart City projects had carried out the repair. The pipeline sprang a leak near the City Police Commissioner’s office around 10 p.m. on April 13.
The KWA had said that it was forced to shut off the valves following a delay in carrying out repairs.
The water utility issued a statement on Thursday asserting that under the terms of the Smart City projects, the contractor was liable to carry out the maintenance works of the pipelines laid under the Smart City works for a period of five years. The KWA had taken the stand that either the contractor of the Smart City projects or the Kerala Road Fund Board/Smart City should repair the pipeline.
The delay in plugging the leak had triggered protests in the area. Water supply to houses and commercial establishments was hit after the KWA shut off the valves to prevent water loss. The water utility said that it, nevertheless, had been forced to keep the valves open for nearly three hours daily in response to public demand. According to a KWA estimate, close to 300 families and several commercial establishments were affected by the delay.
