Pipeline burst floods houses in Rajasthan's Jaisalmer; repair underway

Several houses in low-lying areas were flooded after a 60-inch water supply pipeline of the Pokaran-Phalsund-Sivana drinking water scheme burst in Rajasthan's Jaisalmer district on Monday, officials said.

There were no casualties in the incident, a police officer said.

Superintending Engineer of Jaisalmer Rajesh Agarwal said the leak occurred in the afternoon in the main pipeline supplying drinking water from the Indira Gandhi Canal Project to 550 villages and four cities -- Pokaran, Balotra, Sivana, and Nachana.

Due to high pressure, water gushed into nearby houses. The leakage has been controlled, and the accumulated water is being cleared for inspection, he said.

Teams from the Water Supply Department have reached the site, and repair work is underway. The pipeline is expected to be fixed within 24 to 48 hours, he added.

Ramdevra police station in-charge Shankar Lal said that 25 houses on the western and northern sides of the culvert were inundated with 2-3 feet of water.

Senior officials from the Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) have assessed the damage, and measures have been taken to divert the water flow into a drain, he said.