The Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA)-assisted project to augment drinking water supply to the State capital is moving at a snail’s pace. Work on the project, aimed at providing piped drinking water to uncovered areas and augmenting supply in the existing network, began in the city in 2007, and was stipulated to be completed by 2012.
The project still remains incomplete apparently due to the delay in laying pipelines by cutting roads. It envisages construction of a 74 mld treatment plant at Aruvikkara, laying of pipelines along 41 km to ferry water from the plant to 11 storage tanks, and construction of distribution pipeline along 396 km. The project cost is estimated at Rs.407.2 crore.
While the treatment plant and transmission lines are ready, the distribution lines have been laid only in 263 km. For the past two years, the Kerala Water Authority had been striving to complete the project at least by March this year to get funds from JICA. But it now seems impossible to meet the target.
A senior official says the project lagged behind because of the difficulty in taking up tar-cutting works on main thoroughfares and executing the project in low-lying areas in Attukal.
Tough taskThe low-lying areas are waterlogged and digging to lay pipes becomes an arduous task, the official says.
Chief Engineer, JICA, S. Ratheesh, says the contractor has been asked to expedite pipe-laying in the remaining 133 km, which covers Vazhuthacaud, Peroorkada, Attukal, and Thirumala.
All these places have piped water and the JICA project is only to augment the supply.
The project has benefited around 85,000 people residing at Vattiyurkavu, PTP Nagar, Powdikonam, Kariyam, and Sreekaryam up to Technopark, he says.
Among the 85,000, at least 30 per cent got piped water for the first time after the partial commissioning of the JICA project in 2012.
