JICA scheme commissioned in district

Project to provide safe, piped water to over 12 lakh people

February 28, 2015 12:00 am | Updated 05:39 am IST - Kozhikode:

Chief Minister Oommen Chandy inaugurating a JICA-aided water supply scheme for Kozhikode city on Friday.— Photo: S. Ramesh Kurup

Chief Minister Oommen Chandy inaugurating a JICA-aided water supply scheme for Kozhikode city on Friday.— Photo: S. Ramesh Kurup

Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on Friday commissioned the much-awaited Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)-aided drinking water project aimed at providing safe and stable piped water to more than 12 lakh people in over a dozen panchayats in Kozhikode district.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Chandy termed the project a “major achievement,” despite the time delay in completing it. He said the State was going ahead with a special action plan under the leadership of Water Resources Minister P.J. Joseph to deal with the severe water shortage in the State.

Acknowledging that he had received several memoranda from representatives of people from different parts of the district to include them among the beneficiaries of the JICA-aided drinking water project, Mr. Chandy said such requests were being considered as part of the efforts to make the benefits of the multi-crore project available to maximum number of people.

He announced that a decision had been taken to include Chakkittapara and Changaraoth, two panchayats located close to the reservoir of the project, among the beneficiaries of the project following a mass request from the region.

“We have decided to start the work for it in three months and water will be made available to people in these panchayats in a year,” he said.

To include more areas

Mr. Chandy said a decision had also been taken to ensure water to Feroke and Mavoor panchayats following mass petitions from the region.

“The focus will now be on effectively expanding the project to further areas in a way to ensure drinking water to as many people as possible,” he said.

Presiding over the function, Water Resources Minister P.J. Joseph said the officials had been directed to be cautious about different sort of “challenges and crisis situations that may emerge in the distribution system” as the project slowly fell to place.

“We have made arrangements to sort out the issues as and when they occur,” he said. According to the Minister, the maintenance wing of the water authority will join hands with the JICA employees for this.

The project comprised a water treatment plant, intake well from the Peruvannamuzhi dam, and water distribution network. Though it was commissioned, the distribution network of the project was yet to be completed in many places. “Measures have been taken to complete the works without any further delays,” said the Minister.

Minister for Panchayats and Social Justice M.K. Muneer, Kerala Water Authority Chairman V.J. Kurian, Managing Director Ajit Patil, Corporation Mayor A.K. Premajam, and A. Pradeepkumar, MLA, among others spoke on the occasion.

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