Houses inundated after water pipeline burst in North Guwahati

• Image Credit: Google

• Jun 5, 2023 | Dhupali Das

Following the recent water pipeline burst in Guwahati's Kharguli and Maligaon regions, another such incident was...

Digital Desk: Following the recent water pipeline burst in Guwahati's Kharguli and Maligaon regions, another such incident was reported in North Guwahati on Monday.

Reportedly, a Japan International Corporation Agency (JICA) water supply pipe burst in North Guwahati, inundating the Silsako locality. Following the water burst incident, the entire area was flooded. The incident destroyed a large amount of property, as several houses were underwater. Locals were forced to use water pumps to drain excess water from their homes.

Meanwhile, one of the impacted residents stated, "This happened unexpectedly; we were not informed of anything beforehand. Gammon released the water while they were testing. Our homes were entirely flooded, and many precious belongings, including important documents, were destroyed. We now have nowhere to go and are in a horrible situation."

On the other hand, JICA officials claimed that the incident occurred due to a flaw during the testing process.

"We were testing the pipes. During this procedure, a hole formed in the pipes, causing the water to burst. We normally conduct testing drives before releasing water to houses. We will carry out the necessary restoration work and investigate the families impacted by the occurrence," it said. 

Notably, on Sunday, Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) Mayor Mrigen Sarania informed Guwahati residents that JICA water supply would start on June 5. Due to the recent water pipeline burst incident in the Kharguli area, the Guwahati Jal Board suspended JICA water supplies while technical specialists from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) investigated the defect in the process as well as the overall infrastructure.

Last month, a large water pipeline burst below the under-construction Maligaon flyover in Guwahati, causing massive water spillage and traffic congestion. The issue came to light as the state government's responsible department was working on the flyover's ongoing development. However, it wasn't known what caused the pipeline to burst until this report was filed.