KOCHI: Zone-wise supply, expected to ensure a more equitable sharing of drinking water, may prove to be a boon to the water-starved city.

Through such a distribution system, being introduced in Mattancherry and Fort Kochi under the DFID-assisted Water Supply Augmentation Scheme for west Kochi, a specific quantity of water can be ensured for everyone.

At present, water reaching the tanks from Aluva Headworks is released directly to the distribution network. While this may ensure supply in the pipelines round the clock, the flow becomes weak often, and water will not reach higher areas.

N.A. Vijayachandran, a former employee of the Kerala Water Authority (KWA), says that the zone-wise system can be introduced even in the city. The distribution network can be divided into three zones, being fed by as many major tanks.

Rough outline ready

The KWA officials say that a rough outline for the system has been drawn up. But implementing it has many practical difficulties, according to a senior official. The major impediment is mapping the existing network and cutting through the city roads, the officials add. Total cooperation of the district administration, the city police and the corporation, as well as the public, is mandatory, as the initial works need a lot of road cutting.

A senior official cites a recent instance of the city police postponing permission for cutting the road near Kaloor junction for opening a valve.

The KWA has prepared a roadmap, but it is not yet complete as details of pipelines are not available. Locating the pipes is a tough task.

The major problem with water distribution in the city is the unequal development of various areas under the corporation, which was constituted by joining Ernakulam and Mattancherry municipal areas as well as the neighbouring panchayat areas, such as Poonithura, Konthuruthy, Edappally and Pachalam.

"What generally happens is that a pipeline will be laid along the side of a road; later, the road will be broadened, and the pipeline will soon come to the middle of the road," says a KWA engineer.

If service ducts are made mandatory while constructing new roads, such problems and unnecessary expenditure can be avoided, it is pointed out.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail