The ₹56-crore Neyyar water supply project that envisages a daily supply of 120 million litres is mired in further trouble.
Two individuals have approached the court claiming ownership of 1.7 acres of the six-acre plot identified for establishing the water treatment plant. The case is scheduled to come up for hearing on June 18.
Currently the biggest individual water supply project in the Kerala Water Authority (KWA) list, the project has already been delayed by several months owing to a dispute that erupted over a religious structure in February and the COVID-19 lockdown.
Though the lockdown restrictions have now been eased, work is yet to begin on account of the new development, KWA officials said.
In February, the State government had issued orders transferring six acres of Irrigation Department land to the KWA. However, the KWA contractor, Chicago Constructions International Ltd., has been unable to begin work or fence off the site.
The long-term water requirements of Thiruvananthapuram city hinges on the successful completion of the Neyyar project. It envisages a daily supply of 100 million litres (mld) to the city region. The remaining 20 mld is to be divided among Vilappil, Vilavoorkal, Maranalloor, and Malayinkeezhu panchayats.
Originally scheduled for a March 2021 commissioning, the project is sure to overshoot the deadline. Once the work starts, it would take 18 months to complete the construction of the water treatment plant and allied facilities, sources said.
Pipeline tenders
In the meantime, the KWA has floated tenders for laying a transmission line from the Neyyar dam region to PTP Nagar for the Neyyar water supply project.
This is being taken up as a separate project. Estimated to cost ₹168 crore, the mild-steel pipeline will cover a total distance of 24.5 km.
