KUCHING: Sarawak Metro Sdn Bhd is taking steps to expedite the repair of a damaged underground water pipe at Jalan Canna here.
The company said it was working closely with the Perbena Emas Sdn Bhd and CRBC (M) Sdn Bhd joint venture, its Kuching Urban Transportation System (KUTS) Blue Line Package 2 contractor, on the repair works.
The 600mm ductile iron pipe was damaged during the KUTS project construction activities on Monday (Sept 22) afternoon.
Sarawak Metro apologised to affected communities for water supply disruptions due to the incident.
"Although all precautions had been taken to avoid these types of incidents, accidents can always happen, especially in cases where some of the utilities are uncharted," it said in a statement on Tuesday (Sept 23).
Sarawak Metro said it was now focusing on minimising disruptions to utility services as the construction of the KUTS project gains greater momentum.
"This is currently one of the biggest challenges for the KUTS project, especially with the amount of utilities relocation works involved along the 70km alignment for the first phase of the project," it said.
Sarawak Metro also said it was continuously reviewing its operational protocols to improve coordination between contractors and enhance on-site supervision to prevent similar incidents from recurring.
It said this was in addition to ongoing engagement with utility providers and their respective contractors, particularly before excavation works are carried out near charted underground pipes and cables.
"We greatly appreciate the close cooperation given by the relevant government agencies and utility providers in ensuring the KUTS project is implemented as smoothly as possible," it added.
Earlier Tuesday, Sarawak Water Sdn Bhd said the repair works at Jalan Canna were extended today due to unforeseen technical issues.
The repair works started at 9.30pm on Monday and had initially been scheduled for completion by 6.30am on Tuesday.
