Residents’ associations in the Vazhuthacaud ward are planning to stage an agitation in front of the Jala Bhavan, the headquarters of the Kerala Water Authority (KWA) at Vellayambalam, on Friday in protest against the acute water shortage experienced in their respective neighbourhoods.
Complaints regarding water shortage in the Vazhuthacaud area have a long history, with the residents alleging that the KWA has done little to address their grievance. The recent Smart City works which saw new pipelines being laid has not resolved the issue, residents say.
On Friday, at least eight associations representing the residents of Vazhuthacaud area will be participating in the protest. The residents of Udarasiromani Road, for instance, had lodged multiple complaints with senior officials of the KWA and the Water Resources Department about the water scarcity in their neighbourhood. At the time, they were told that the issue would be resolved with the installation of new water supply lines under the Smart City road works. Although this work is over, uninterrupted water supply remains a distant dream, said K. Jayadevan Nair, president,
Udarasiromani Road Residents Association (USRA), said. “At my home, we started getting water after three whole days at around 2.15 a.m. on Wednesday. We have been ordering food from outside. We also survived one day on rain water,” he said. “Many areas are getting water supply only once in three-four days. People require round-the-clock supply. Even if that is impossible, uninterrupted supply for at least 12 hours needs to be ensured,” ward councillor Rakhi Ravikumar said.
Residents have demanded an urgent solution to the problem, pointing out that summer 2025, which is only a few months away, could increase it manyfold.
Published - September 04, 2024 07:59 pm IST
