There is no permanent solution to the problems caused by the age old pipeline from the Ambatale reservoir feeding several areas including Colombo. The section of the pipeline which had given way was expected to be repaired by yesterday evening, a spokesman for the National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB) said yesterday.

Many densely populated areas in the Greater Colombo areas as well as in the sububs were badly affected by the sudden water cut yesterday.

NWSDB General Manager M. Wickremege, asked about the general condition of the pipeline, said certain parts of it were over one hundred years old while others were as old as 40 years or so. The oldest sections of the mainline were in areas like Hanwella and Kaduwela. Several hundred kilometers of the main supply line were badly in need of replacement. But the cost of a project to replace the pipes would be prohibitive and therefore not feasible at the moment, Wickremege said.

Asked how long the replacement of the dilapidated sections would take, a smiling Wickremege quipped, "When we become a rich country!" He said the country needed millions and million of rupees to embark on that kind of project. "Everything depends on the availability of funds," he said.

The only way to deal with the problem at present, he said, was to have repair gangs and material at the ready to effect repairs immediately.

Meanwhile, a trade union source in the NWSDB said given the state of the main supply line, more problems had to be anticipated in time to come. And unless immediate steps were taken to attend to the problem, he said, the day might not be far off when the supply would come to a complete halt in most parts of the city.