Residents of Fort Kochi and Mattancherry, where drinking water shortage is a recurring problem, will soon get relief, with the Kerala Water Authority (KWA) all set to commission a new pipeline this week. Once the pipeline is in place, water supply is expected to go up by 15 to 20 million litres a day (MLD).
At present, West Kochi gets 30 to 32 mld, with the Fort Kochi area receiving 20 to 25 mld and Palluruthy getting 10 to12 mld. The region requires over 45 mld.
The work on the pipeline had been pending for over a year though the Maradu plant had a soft commissioning in December 2015. The delay in obtaining sanction to cut the road was a reason for it. Besides, the contractor had given up the project midway, leaving the KWA to finish the work on its own.
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Meanwhile, a press release from the Public Relations Department said the provisions under the State Disaster Management Rules had been invoked by the District Collector to speed up the work considering the severe shortage of drinking water in the area.
“The new pipeline will benefit around 50,000 families in the West Kochi region,” said KWA sources. The project was taken up under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), and the State government released ₹7.75 crore for it, the release added. High quality 700-mm pipes have been laid for the 2.8-km stretch. The existing pipeline between Chowara pump house of the KWA and West Kochi was laid in 1914. At present, 900-mm CI pipes are used for water supply to West Kochi from Aluva. The line reaches Perumanoor pump house, and water is pumped to Karuvelippady pump house through a 700-mm pipeline.