Ending years of wait, piped drinking water was made available to the famed beach destination of Kovalam on Tuesday at a cost of ₹15 crore to provide safe drinking water to residents and holidayers.
The project, executed by the Kerala Water Authority for Kerala Tourism, will also make available safe drinking water for the residents of adjoining Kaliyoor and Venganoor panchayats. The water is being sourced from the Vellayani lake. The intake well and the pump house had been set up on the premises of the Kerala Agricultural University. The water from the freshwater lake will be purified and distributed through pipes. Kerala Tourism had provided ₹ 14 crore and the City Corporation, ₹1 crore for the water supply scheme to Kovalam.
With the commissioning of the scheme, people need not depend on tanker lorries and other sources for safe drinking water. Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran commissioned the scheme and the ₹4.98-crore Silent Valley Sunbath Park at a function held at the palace junction.
The sunbath park, on the land owned by Kerala Tourism near the Government Guest House, will facilitate sunbath for holidayers away from the hustle and bustle on the Light House and Eve’s beaches. The project is part of a master plan worked out by the department for the overall development of the beach destination in the next 30 years.
The crafts village at Vellar, renovated by Kerala Tourism, will be inaugurated by Chief Minister Pinayaryi Vijayan on March 15, the Minister added.
