The municipal water supply pipe burst in Guwahati, Assam, killed a woman, and injured over 30 others on May 25. Â
In the Kharghuli neighborhood of Guwahati, the brust created a major water flood surge and washed away multiple vehicles, and damaged several residences at least several 40 homes in the vicinity.
Gammon JICA Water Pipe Bursts
The stunning images of the tragedy, which show water flowing across streets, are already widely shared. Due to the intense water pressure that created a flood-like situation with water splashing several feet away, several vehicles were swept away.
Around three o’clock in the afternoon, the incident occurred, sending the locals of Kharghuli into a state of panic and pandemonium. The water gush immediately affected about 600 people, with about 30 of them suffering injury. The hurt was quickly taken to local hospitals for immediate medical care.
One woman, who died in the tragedy, named Sumitra Das Rabha, was brought in dead to the GMCH, according to Dr. Abhijit Sarma, the hospital superintendent of Guwahati Medical College and Hospital. There have been eight injured patients admitted to GMCH so far, and Dr. Sarma stated that three of them were minors.
Gammon JICA is in charge of maintaining the pipeline. However, those who were impacted by the tragedy have expressed their outrage and disappointment for the harm done to their property and have claimed reimbursement from the GMDA.
Minister Ashok Singhal’s Statement
In an exclusive interview, Ashok Singhal, the Assam Minister for the Guwahati Development Department (GDD), discussed the subject. Singhal expressed his sincere regret for the occurrence and emphasized the necessity for a thorough investigation to ascertain the precise reason for the unfortunate mishap. He claimed that despite the water supply system operating faultlessly for the previous three years, this unexpected incident had occurred, classifying it as an accident.
After visiting the scene of the event in the evening, Ashok Singhal spoke to the media and explained that the pressure is kept very low when hydro testing is done after the welding procedure of the pipes. We have never heard of a case where water suddenly erupted after hydro-testing had been completed successfully, he added.
Singhal also emphasized that during the course of the previous 7-8 years, similar instances had also happened. But the recent break of the water supply pipe calls for a thorough examination of the events that led up to the tragedy. Singhal reaffirmed that the authorities are dedicated to identifying the underlying cause in order to prevent similar accidents from happening again.
He added that the Kamrup Metro Deputy Commissioner has been instructed to attend the scene of the occurrence and assess the situation.
“We have set up a relief camp. The DC has also been told to go to the location and assess the situation there. Following the start of the safety audit, I will also go to the area. I’ll return here and talk to the locals after we have the whole report in a few days, the minister continued.
Necessary Action Taken So Far
The affected individuals were sent right away to the hospital for treatment, and a medical camp has also been established in the neighborhood. The Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) has pledged to restore the water supply quickly.Â
The event has brought up the topic of Guwahati’s subpar infrastructure once more. The city has been dealing with numerous issues as a result of the subpar roads, bridges, and other infrastructure. To avoid similar incidents in the future, the government must take action to improve the quality of the city’s infrastructure.
