Replace old water pipelines: SHRC

The State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) has directed the government to take immediate steps to replace old drinking water pipelines in the city.

The SHRC had suo motto registered a case after several bursts occurred in the drinking water pipelines and had directed the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau to conduct a probe into such incidents.

The commission said the Vigilance found most of the pipelines old, including the one laid from Aruvikkara to the city. The pipeline from Aruvikkara was commissioned in 1999 and between 2010 and 2013, the pipe burst 21 times.

In the PTB sub-division, within three years, 138 incidents of pipe bursts were reported and in the same period 198 bursts were reported in the Kowdiar North sub-division. Similarly, the pipe burst 46 times and 136 times in the Vellayambalam and Kuriathy sub-divisions respectively, the SHRC said quoting the Vigilance report.

Change process

The Kerala Water Authority should completely change the process adopted in the selection of contractors. The Vigilance had found the contractors having tremendous sway over the officials in the KWA.

It has also recommended procurement of pipes and related materials approved by the Bureau of Indian Standards. The procurement of materials should be under the supervision of experienced officers and an independent agency should be allowed to check the quality.

The water utility should utilise the Geographic Information System to gather information about its network. Expert officers should only be utilised to operate its valves. A log book should be maintained to register all the repair works undertaken. Senior and junior officers should conduct spot visits whenever a burst occurs. The junior officers should submit a report about the burst.

Chairman of the SHRC J. B Koshy has directed the KWA to implement all the recommendations given by the Vigilance.

Superintendent of Police, Vigilance, S. Rajmohanan, submitted the report, the SHRC said in a release.