The Hindu : Rains ease drinking water crisis

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Apr 19, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Kerala-Thiruvananthapuram

Rains ease drinking water crisis

By Our Staff Reporter

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM April 18. The water supply situation in the city continues to be safe with the Peppara reservoir recording water levels higher than that recorded during the same period last year.

According to officials of the Kerala Water Authority (KWA) the Peppara reservoir currently has 99.6 ft above mean sea level (MSL). The corresponding reading for the same time in 2002 was 93.6 ft above MSL. The extra six metres of water in Peppara means that the reservoir now has enough water for about 70 to 75 days of usage, according to current rates of usage in Thiruvananthapuram city which stands at 214 million litres per day.

Even though this situation is being termed `safe' by officials of the KWA, the current water level is lower than that recorded at Peppara in the month of March this year. The reading taken on March 7 showed that the water level at Peppara was 101.40 ft above MSL. This level was the second highest in the history of the dam, as far as readings on the same date go.

However, the lowest water level recorded in the dam was 93.20 ft above MSL, during May 2001. This had set off alarm bells in the KWA. A water supply crisis was averted only due to a couple of heavy showers. Even today, the situation was saved for the KWA only due to some heavy showers this month. Continuous water supply to the city is being ensured today by letting out water from Peppara for just three hours each evening. This means that just enough water reaches Aruvikkara to enable uninterrupted supply to the city.

The situation on the distribution front is however not all that healthy. Though the KWA is able to ensure uninterrupted water supply to almost all parts of the city, there are areas which are yet to enjoy water supply round the clock. These are areas in the Thirumala zone which are among the most elevated areas in the city. The demand-supply equation is so finely balanced that an excess withdrawal from some of the low-lying areas would result in that much less water reaching the reservoirs of the Thirumala zone. The areas that would be affected include Vattiyoorkavu, PTP Nagar, Poojappura, Mudavanmugal and Pangode.

Officials of the KWA also acknowledge that there has been a noticeable increase in the quantity of water being used daily in the city. Even though some years ago, the Water Authority used to issue an appeal annually (during summer time) requesting the public not to use drinking water for non-personal purposes such as washing vehicles, bathing animals, watering gardens and so on, the practise was discontinued following the commissioning of the Interim Augmentation Scheme. This, some KWA officials point out, has once again given the public a feeling that water supply is unlimited and can be used indiscriminately.

It is also pointed out that the elevated areas in the city would have to wait for the next phase of augmentation of the drinking water supply, as envisaged in the OECF scheme, to be assured of uninterrupted water supply.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Southern States

Stories in this Section

Rains ease drinking water crisis

Arrangements complete for entrance exams

Power sector reforms sluggish: study

Film producer lambasts K.G. George

Rainwater harvesting structures handed over

Flak over entrusting fetes to private groups

Heritage golf club being restored