The continuing water crisis in Kollam city is hurtling towards a near-panic situation. There has been no piped supply for the past three days in the city and most wells in houses have gone dry.
If summer showers do not materialise in a day or two, there are fears that the crisis may aggravate into a law and order situation.
The crisis is leading to ugly scenes even during election campaigns. Recently, Labour Minister Shibu Baby John was attacked at an election debate organised by a news channel at Chavara. Mr. John and his LDF rival Vijayan Pillai who were injured in the attack were hospitalised.
The water level of Sasthamcotta Lake has dropped alarmingly, forcing the Kerala Water Authority to stop drawing water from the lake to its water treatment plant . The lake is the major source of water for Kollam city and seven grama panchayats. The coastal belt is the worst hit. People in these areas are not getting water even for their basic requirements.
Those in the fishing community hamlets largely depend on piped water for the daily requirements. An 80-year-old woman at a fishing hamlet at Tangasseri said she had never faced such a crisis in her life. “Leave alone water for bathing, there is hardly any water for basis requirements and women are the worst hit,” she said.
People in panchayat areas served by Sasthamcotta Lake said they had not received water supply in the past five days. KWA authorities, when contacted, said in addition to the crisis situation of the lake, the groundwater sources which the KWA depended upon had been badly hit.
Bottled water has become a precious commodity and 20-litre jars are not available, leading to concerns about the quality of the water supplied.
