The Hindu : Kerala / Kochi News : Despite a slew of `ongoing' projects

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Friday, Mar 09, 2007
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Kerala

Kerala - Kochi

Despite a slew of `ongoing' projects

Staff Reporter

KOCHI. Even though there is acute shortage of water supply to Kochi, there is no dearth of `on-going' projects of Kerala Water Authority (KWA).

The projects have been going on for years, even decades, in some cases, like the Hudco Scheme, which promises 108 mld (million litres per day) of water for the city. Work on the Hudco scheme started in 1996. At present, the project is expected to be commissioned in June 2007. Last year, a Kerala High Court order had directed the authorities to see to it that the project is commissioned within six months. The sluggish pace of the work of Hudco project is attributed to the delays caused by the legal battles related to the acquisition of land along the way.

The Augmentation of Water Supply Scheme of the KWA to Thripunithura Municipality and adjoining panchayats, or the Choondy Scheme, is among the on-going projects. The work for the 46 mld scheme which is expected to augment the supply to Tripunithura Municipality and Chottanikkara, Maradu, Kumbalam and Udayamperoor panchayats, started last year. It is expected to be commissioned in 2008.

The Rs. 51-crore project is being implemented with loan from Federal Bank. Work on the treatment plant at Choondy has begun. Five kilometres of pipeline from Choondy to Karimukal have been laid and the sump and pump house at Karingachira are being constructed.

Though the work has been progressing considerably faster compared to others as no acquisition was involved, a hitch has cropped up in the form of the Government sanction to construct an overhead tank on the premises of the Hill Palace at Thripunithura.

Another project that the KWA has been nurturing for some time is the scheme to tap the Muvattupuzhayar at Pazhoor. Known as Pazhoor project, the scheme is expected to supply 100 mld of water to the Maradu, Kumbalam, Kumbalanghi and Chellanam panchayats as well as to Thevara, Wellingdon Island, Cochin Shipyard and Cochin Port Trust. Another project that had been dragging on is the DFID-assisted Water Supply Augmentation Scheme for West Kochi.

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