The Hindu : Delay in revamping pipe network proves costly

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Feb 15, 2004

Kerala

Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Delay in revamping pipe network proves costly

By G. Mahadevan

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, FEB. 14. With summer just round the corner, the outdated drinking water distribution network in the State capital city is already struggling to keep pace with the burgeoning demand for water.

Many parts in the heart of the city, such as Pulimoodu, Ayurveda College, Medical College and Pattom, are already experiencing shortage of drinking water on a daily basis. Added to this is the tardy pace of expansion of the water distribution network in the 81 corporation wards of the city.

Sources in the city corporation say the local body had deposited Rs. 1.11 crores with the Kerala Water Authority (KWA) in 2000 for laying of drinking water pipelines and public taps in all the 81 wards, including 10 coastal wards.

However, the tenders for the work in 40 wards, worth Rs. 30 lakhs, had only been awarded recently. At this rate, the laying of pipes was not going to be completed this summer, corporation officials said.

They say there is an urgent need for expanding the drinking water distribution network in coastal areas such as Shangumugham, Valiathura, Vettukadu, Pallithura and Veli. At present, the people in these areas mainly depend on tanker lorries for getting their daily ration of drinking water.

There are also reports that private tanker operators are demanding more money for reaching water to interior areas in these coastal wards. Corporation officials say they are now spending Rs. 1.11 lakhs a month to reach drinking water in tanker lorries to various parts of the city.

The situation is more or less similar in many wards in the city too; people in Chacka, Pettah, Medical College, Ulloor, Nalanchira and adjoining Edavacode, Mudavanmugal, Thirumala and Mancaud wards have been waiting for quite some time now for piped water supply.

In the Thrikkannapuram ward, a major part of construction of the Rs. 4.23 crore local drinking water supply scheme, is yet to be completed. Only the raw water intake tank and some pipelines have been put in place so far. Once functional, this scheme would serve Thrikkannapuram and 10 adjoining wards.

It is also pointed out that even though Thiruvananthapuram district has been declared as drought-hit, the local bodies have not received any of the grants, from the central and State Governments, that are normally due to it when such declarations are made. There are fears that if this situation continues, the Corporation might find itself short of funds to reach much needed drinking water to the parched areas of the city.

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