Slapping a ban on the collection of water from quarries, a Legislative Committee of the Kerala Assembly has suggested that drinking water for tanker lorries should be collected only from hydrants and other supply points of the Kerala Water Authority (KWA).
The tankers could be allowed to collect water from certified wells for the next 15 days as an interim measure, it has suggested.
KWA managing director had informed the panel that the agency could supply required quantities of drinking water to private suppliers.
The committee suggested that the Ernakulam district administration could form an action plan, Operation Pure Water, to ensure safe drinking water supply in the district. There were complaints that the tanker lorries were collecting untreated water from abandoned, waterlogged quarries and other water bodies for supply to schools, hotels and hospitals.
Inspection of tankers
Committee chairman K.B. Ganesh Kumar asked the district administration to cancel the order of the earlier district collector not to stop tankers midway for inspections. “Vehicles shall be inspected,” said the panel.
While providing water to tankers, the time of supply and the number of the vehicle should be included in the water bill.
Only vehicles that have been certified and issued licence should be used for the collection and supply of water. The quantity and quality of water should be periodically inspected, it was suggested.
Global Positioning System (GPS) should be installed in all lorries used for business. The colour scheme should be strictly followed, with vehicles used for providing drinking water to be given blue colour, ones used for transporting septage to be yellow and ones for waste water to be brown.
The panel suggested the removal of motor pumps installed near quarries from where water is collected.
The panel has also sought a monthly report from the District Collector regarding the progress of the project.
The panel, which had legislators P. Ubaidulla, O. Rajagopal, V.P. Sajeendran, C. Mammootty and R. Ramachandran as its members, collected complaints and suggestions from the public.
