While Citizens Feel the Brunt of Water Rationing, Gallons of Water is Lost due to Leaky Pipes
Mangaluru: This has happened in the past, and it’s happening, where a loose connection of the water pipe is resulting in losing gallons and gallons of water 24X7. This has been a long time problem, where after complaints the concerned people come and do an incomplete/shabby job- and a few days later it’s once again, the same problem of water leakage. And presently it is much worse, with water oozing out continuously, and overflowing surrounding areas. And now since there is no Pappa and Mamma at the MCC, only in-charge MCC Commissioner, so no one has taken any action to fix this problem. And the exact location of this faulty/leaky water pipe is opposite to Natural Ice Cream shack on Kadri Road (Kadri Pumpwell), near Karnataka Bank-Kadri- and I live a few meters away from the spot.
While the MCC is still continuing with the water rationing for its citizens, but the officials have turned a blind eye towards leaky and faulty water connection pipes all around the City, and not just the one near Kadri. Earlier there were leaky pipes near Urwa, lady Hill, Bendore-well, Jeppu, and many other places- but the problems don’t stop, as the leaks appear again and again. A few months ago MCC had announced that it has yet to collect payment of water bills in crores – and on the other hand MCC is losing gallons of water due to a faulty connection of water pipes or due to rusty water pipes. While most of the City is dying of thirst due to low water supply during summer times, and here we have water being lost due to human error and negligence.
Water leaks are becoming a bigger cause for concern with corporations/municipalities desperately trying to conserve more water while trying to decrease the amount of clean water that is being wasted through burst water pipes. Old water infrastructure has been a problem for MCC with old metal pipes rusting, loose bolts giving way, and clean water gushing onto the street or into drains, costing a fortune in revenue. So how much water does the city actually lose because of this? A LOT! The City’s creaking water system is leaking thousands of liters every day in regions currently facing usage restrictions as reservoirs run perilously low during hot weather. Many a time, MCC warns residents to limit their water usage during summer, but don’t bother to fix leaky or faulty pipes that leak out gallons of water. Bah humbug!
Locals say this is indicative of the volume of water being wasted and leaking out of the city’s aging water infrastructure. If the leaks were fixed there would be no need to conserve water. If you examine some of the MCC water connection pipes you will notice some shocking results- most pipes in the distribution system are in a bad condition. The pipes are either leaking and the dead ends capped with wooden/metal corks increasing the likelihood of water-borne diseases. Presence of heavy metals like iron and lead corroding from the pipes and joints could far exceed limits of safe drinking water. Sadly, MCC doesn’t care about citizens health safety.
Some of the pipes looked new; most were older and had sprung tiny leaks out of rust holes. Not only has the municipal water system been slow to branch out, but it also leaks like cheesecloth. In the established neighborhoods that enjoy the relative reliability of an MCC hookup, 44 percent of the city’s water supply either seeps out through aging pipes or gets siphoned away by thieves. Summers bring shortages, even for those served by the city’s plumbing. Everywhere, the steep ascent of demand has caused a run on groundwater. Well, owners drill deeper and deeper, chasing the water table downward as they all keep draining it further.
And on the other hand, we have these faulty/leaky water pipes that lose gallons of water-what a waste? Hope this report will awaken the concerned MCC officials to spring into action and fix the leaky joint so that not a single drop of precious water is lost. Thanking you in anticipation-yours truly on behalf of the citizens of Kadri area and around other parts of the City…
