A motorist drives past potholes at Sri Krishna Nagar in Patna on Thursday. Picture by Ashok Sinha

Relief has finally come the way of Sri Krishna Nagar residents, but it looks temporary.

Water has dried up on road number 2, but far from breathing easy, residents are worried about the “quick-fix” measures adopted by the civic body.

“The leakage has stopped at the corner of road number 21 and the water on the road has also receded. However, I have a strong feeling that the leakage will start again within the next few days because of the faulty methods applied by the civic body in the repair work. This is the reason why road number 2 is waterlogged throughout the year,” said Abhishek Kumar, a resident of road number 21.

Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) workers told The Telegraph that they use only jute ropes for repairing the damaged pipeline. However, experts suggest that molten metal is the permanent solution for pipeline leakages.

Civic officials said use of molten metal is “being considered” by the corporation. “The government-approved cost of molten metal is five times less than the market rate. Hence, it becomes difficult for us to procure material for ensuring permanent repair of damaged supply line,” said a senior PMC officer .

The PMC agreed that the water pipeline at road number 2 is vulnerable at several points owing to excessive pressure on account of non-utilisation of supply water.

The Telegraph had reported on March 13 that the water supply pipeline at the junction of road number 20 and 21, on the road number 2 in Sri Krishna Nagar, was damaged. The leakage was causing frequent waterlogging on the roads. The main sewage chamber of road number 2 is also blocked for the past six months, as a result of which, drain water enters homes located on the stretch.

After the PMC started the damage control on Wednesday, the situation improved considerably on Thursday. The level of stagnant water went down at most places but some residents claimed the repair work was just an “eyewash”. “I agree that the water accumulated in front of my house has receded but the damage control has been done very cleverly. The workers have diverted the flow from the damaged pipe to an empty plot in front of my house. This would further intensify our problems by creating a stagnant water body that will invite more mosquitoes and other insects to the area,” said Vivek Kumar, a resident of road number 2.

The construction work on the underground drainage line on road number 2 of Sri Krishna Nagar is halfway through. Rural works department, the implementing agency for the drain construction, is aiming to complete the work by April 10.