Much of the city’s sewage flows towards its coast, to the modern treatment plant opened at Muttathara a few years ago.
More areas within the city are being connected to this ever-expanding sewerage system under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT). Yet the coastal area, where the treatment plant is located, is not connected to the network.
After long years of demand from the local population, work began on the sewerage system in the coastal wards eight years ago. Pipes were laid at several areas by the Kerala Water Authority (KWA) through a project funded by the city Corporation under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) scheme. But the project remained plagued from the beginning due to various issues ranging from lack of availability of land to set up pump houses and laxity on the part of the contractors. Even now, the houses in the coastal area are not connected to the sewerage network.
Raw deal alleged
According to Tony Oliver, former councillor of the Valiyathura ward, who first raised the issue in the Corporation council several years ago, the residents of the coastal wards have got a raw deal when it comes to sewerage or waste management.
“We always get to see the waste from across the city ending up in our backyard, but there is no way our own sewage would get treated here. Pipes were laid from Shanghumughom to Beemapally and from Vallakadavu to Valiyathura and Beemapally East. For the construction of pumping station, a plot of land owned by a church near Valiyathura was also taken over. But the work never reached anywhere. The Corporation has spent more funds in repairing the roads that were dug up for the purpose than in actually laying the pipes. We have staged protests in front of the KWA office in Kuriyathi demanding completion of the network, but the work has not picked up,” he says.
Last week, Water Resources Minister K. Krishnakutty had in a reply to a question by V.S. Sivakumar, MLA, in the Assembly admitted that the work on some parts of the network was held up due to non-availability of land for setting up pump houses.
Special project
A special project has been designed under the name ‘F and G block’ for a sewerage system from Poonthura to Veli. The whole area has been divided into four zones — F1, G1, F2 and G2. In the F1 block, covering Shanghumughom, Vettukad and Kannanthura wards, three pump houses were planned. But the project has not begun because of non-availability of land.
In the G1 block, covering the Poonthura, Manikyavilakom, Beemapally, Beemapally East, Valiyathura and parts of the Vallakkadavu ward, land could be acquired for only one of the four required pump houses. The existing plan was redesigned in such a way that it would work with only one pump house. However, the depth of 9 metres required for the changed plan threw up challenges. The Empowered Committee also terminated the services of the contractor citing delays.
As per the directive of the State-level Technical Committee, a revised estimate is being prepared as per the new schedule rates.
Considering the practical difficulties of setting up a sewerage system in the area with just one pump house, a new feasibility survey by limiting the depth to 6 metres is currently being done.
In the F2 block, comprising the Kadakampally ward and parts of the Perunthanni, Muttathara and Vallakadavu wards, 73% of the work on pump house and installation of sewer pipes and manholes has been completed.
The remaining work on the pump and the electrical work is expected to be completed within a year. In the G2 block, comprising the Puthanpally, Ambalathara and Idayar wards and parts of Muttathara, work has not begun because land for pump house is unavailable.
