Kozhikode: Contaminated water continues to flow through the Kerala Water Authority (KWA) pipelines in Vadakara municipality. Though the KWA tried to fixed the problem by pumping water from the Peruvannamoozhi reservoir, residents have complained that the salinity of water has not come down, making it unfit for domestic use.
KWA officials pointed out that pumping from Peruvannamoozhi would not be a lasting solution as it would affect water supply to other locations in the district during peak summer.
They claimed that saline water intrusion was a temporary phenomenon, and that it would naturally recede with seasonal changes. Maintaining that constructing a bund across Gulikappuzha may permanently solve the problem, the officials hoped that the government would allocate enough funds for the project in the coming budget.
“We face this problem every year, but a solution is still receding. Several people are purely depending on the KWA supply for their daily needs,” said Sabith Mohammed, a resident.
Meanwhile, Vadakara municipal chairperson K.P. Bindu said the issue could be resolved only by constructing a bund at Perumcherikkadavu. “Only a bund can prevent saline water intrusion into Gulikappuzha, the current source of potable water for the KWA,” she added.
However, a proposal forwarded by the municipal authorities for the construction of the bund last year is yet to evoke a favourable response from the State government. The project can be realised only with the sanctioning of ₹57 lakh.
The municipal authorities pointed out that the saline water intrusion into Gulikappuzha had been troubling KWA consumers for long. Last year, the issue was raised by local residents mostly by the end of March. This year, it was reported at an early stage, they said.
