Assam: Three-member committee formed to investigate bursting of water supply main line in Guwahati

In response to the catastrophic incident that occurred in the Kharguli area of Guwahati on May 25, where a Gammon JICA water supply main line pipe burst, causing significant damage and loss of life, the Governor of Assam has taken swift action. In the interest of public service and ensuring the safety of the citizens, the Governor has constituted a three-member committee to investigate the incident and has called for a comprehensive safety audit of the JICA assisted Guwahati Water Supply Project.

The committee, headed by Pabitra Ram Khaund, IAS, Secretary to the Government of Assam, Department of Housing and Urban Affairs, comprises two other members: Ramendra Sundar Choudhury, Retired Secretary to the Government of Assam, Public Health Engineering Department cum Additional Mission Director (DEM) of AMRUT, and Sanjai Kr. Mahanta, Retired Chief Engineer of the Irrigation Department cum Additional Mission Director (Admin) of AMRUT. This committee will diligently examine the bursting of the clear water pumping main at Joypur near the IOCL Gate, a crucial component of the ongoing JICA assisted Guwahati Water Supply Project.

Providing further details about the water pumping main line, it is revealed that the pipeline spans a length of 2040 meters, running from the Water Treatment Plant at Kharghuli to the Ramsahill Main reservoir. The pipeline was laid over a span of four years from 2015 to 2019, and it was constructed by M/s Gammon India Ltd, later known as Gammon Engineers and Contractors Pvt Ltd. In 2019, the pipeline underwent hydrotesting and flushing, and since January 2020, it has been operational in pumping water from the Kharghuli Water Treatment Plant to the Ramsa Hill reservoir.

Simultaneously, a formal request has been made to the Director of IIT Guwahati by the Project Director of the JICA Assisted Guwahati Water Supply Project to conduct a comprehensive safety audit of the pipelines and reservoirs associated with the project. The letter emphasizes the need to identify and address potential man-made disasters, including factors such as landslides near the reservoirs, leakages in the distribution and transmission networks, issues with the clear water pumping main, valve leakages, and other related concerns.