After several failed attempts to rope in a partner to develop a bottling unit at Aruvikkara near here, the Kerala Water Authority (KWA) has decided to revise the project estimate and invite fresh tenders.
The KWA board, which met last month, had given its nod to revise the project estimate and invite separate tenders to find bidders for electrical, civil, plant and machinery works, Managing Director of KWA Ashok Kumar Singh told The Hindu .
“We have now brought down the project cost from Rs.10 crore to Rs.8 crore. The decision to split the work into three was taken as only one bidder participated when the tender was floated five times in the past. Certain other changes were also made after studying the process involved in the setting up of the bottling unit at Thodupuzha by Kerala Irrigation Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd.,” he said.
The project, which was conceived in 2007 as a step towards revenue generation, was to set up a plant with capacity to produce 7,500 litres of potable water an hour. The plant would use reverse osmosis technology with UV and ozone sterilization to produce quality packaged drinking water.
The plan, the official said, was to market drinking water in 500-ml and 1- , 2- , and 15-litre cans. The water would initially be sold to government offices and undertakings, canteens, guest houses, and the Secretariat.
A senior official said several bottlenecks that came in the way of implementing the project had been removed and the board was hopeful of rolling out the plant this year itself. The charge of the project, which was earlier vested with the purchase section of the KWA, has been handed over to the Superintending Engineer of the Public Health division of the KWA.
The bottling unit was a major project taken up by the water utility to shore up its revenue.
The delay in implementing the project had invited criticism from the Comptroller and Auditor General.
The work was tendered four times, three of which were rejected due to ‘lack of experience of the bidder’ and the ‘quoting of exorbitant rates.’ But, a Gujarat-based company had qualified and the work was allotted to them.
The company had carried out certain preliminary works at Aruvikkara but left halfway though as it found hard to go ahead with the concept.
