The Kerala Water Authority (KWA) has finally succeeded in ‘solving’ the mystery surrounding the acute water shortage at Kanaka Nagar, Vellayambalam.
Employing high-tech equipment, the water utility discovered the culprit to be an old leaky pipeline that had been laid deep in the earth. By replacing it, smooth water supply has been ensured to the thickly-populated residential area, the KWA said on Thursday.
Futile efforts
Over the past several months, KWA officials have been taking flak over their inability to address the issue at Kanaka Nagar. An inspection carried out on the valves in the pipeline network and pumping of additional water to the area from the reservoir at PTP Nagar did not produce the desired results.
Subsequently, a KWA team led by R.V. Santosh Kumar, Executive Engineer, PH Division (North), carried out an inspection of the area. The team used a high-tech leak detector which enables the water utility to discover leaks without digging up the earth.
Kanaka Nagar was one of several areas in and around Vellayambalam that had been facing acute water shortage over the past several months.
In May, the residents of Nanthancode ward, led by their ward councillor, had even staged a protest outside the office of the Executive Engineer, KWA, alleging that several areas of the ward have been denied supply for months.
The complaints had come at a time when the KWA had announced that the Peppara reservoir had enough water to last the summer. Several streets in Jawahar Nagar had also faced a similar plight.
