Pics: Prajwal Ukkuda
Daijiworld Media Network—Mangalore (RS/CN)
Mangalore, Jul 26: At least 30 shops in Bendoorwell were flooded after a pipeline was damaged on Saturday July 25.
The underground pipeline on the Kankanady-Bendoorwell Road burst, and water gushed out in a flood and flowed into the shops.
The shop owners and staff were taken by surprise as the water rushed into their establishments. As a result a lot of goods in the shops were damaged.
The traffic on the road also came to a standstill for several hours.
The damaged pipeline supplies water to Mangaladevi, Mulihithlu, Jeppinamogaru, Nandigudde, and some other places. Hence, these areas will now face a scarcity of water till repairs are carried out.
One of the shop owners said, “We only saw the water coming into our shop. We had no means of preventing this unexpected water flow. So, the goods inside our shop have been damaged”.
“The MCC (Mangalore City Corporation) is responsible for the damages. They have permitted road construction where the pipeline is laid. They should have shifted the pipeline”, alleged another shop owner, adding that the underground water pipeline was damaged during road construction.
Rajashekar, executive engineer of MCC, said that the asbestos-cement pipe which was laid 15 years ago has been damaged. Though he did not pinpoint what caused the pipeline to burst, he suspected that the pipe might have developed a crack as a result of the road work.
Mayor Shankar Bhat, who visited the spot, assured that the matter would be investigated and priority given to the immediate repair of the pipeline.
The road which was asphalted recently, is witnessing such damage for the third time.
Another part of the same road had similar problems a month ago, and had damaged shops and compounds of houses the last two times. The pipeline under that road was laid four decades ago and is made of cast-iron.
The MCC has faced difficulties in shifting the underground water pipelines during the road construction.
Most locals of the area curse the MCC for poor performance and negligent work. They are also demanding that the old pipeline under the road be shifted or a new one put in to avoid recurrence of such incidents.