Getting a new water connection from the Kerala Water Authority(KWA)’s distribution network has become a laborious and costly affair for people residing in several parts of the city due to the tar cutting factor involved in laying new lines and lack of coordination among different agencies.
Prospective consumers residing in places not having distribution network on both sides of the road are made to wait for months for want of permission for tar cutting from agencies such as Thiruvananthapuram Road Development Corporation Limited (TRDCL), Road Fund Board, Public Works Department and the city Corporation.
People often had to wait for months to get sanction for cutting the road, admitted a KWA official. Adding to the woes of the consumers is the huge cost involved in tar cutting and re-laying of road once new lines are laid. Consumers have to remit as much as Rs.8,000 per metre square as tar cutting fee.
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“I had to spend around Rs.40,000 as tar cutting fee alone, besides the huge cost involved in allied works,” said Kumar of Thirumala. Even after making the payment and producing all documents, it took more than three months to get the connection, he said. “The tug-of-war between TRDCL, Road Front Board and the KWA is taking its toll on the consumers. It took more than 11 months for me to get a connection, that too after spending more than Rs.2 lakh,” said Suresh Kumar of Anayara.
President of the Federation of Residents’ Associations Thiruvananthapuram T.K. Bhaskara Panicker said that in places without rider line and with wider roads, public were made to pay huge amount, he said. A senior official with the KWA told The Hindu that places such as Pattom, Medical College, Kumarapuram, Venpalavattom, Anayara, Nemom and General Hospital had only single distribution lines. “A consumer has to spend a minimum of Rs.40,000 for tar cutting cost alone. The utility had submitted a proposal to the government for providing distribution lines on both sides in places not covered,” he said.