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Friday, Mar 09, 2007
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Kerala - Kochi

Acute drinking water shortage in Kochi...

Renu Ramanath

Faulty and ill-maintained distribution network in the city and its suburbs blamed for crisis

Photo: H. Vibhu

WATER WOES: The plight of the public in the suburbs is set to worsen as summer peaks. They ferry water in boats from distant places.

KOCHI: Uninterrupted supply of drinking water still remains a distant dream for residents of Kochi.

With the spate of development projects and construction activities in Kochi and its suburbs, water consumption in the city has shot up by a huge margin. However, there has been no proportionate increase in the supply, resulting in acute drinking water shortage in the city and the surrounding rural areas.

The problems of water supply in Kochi arise not due to lack of water, as the Periyar, the main water source for the district, has not recorded any drastic decrease in water level almost round the year. The crisis is owing to the faulty and often outdated distribution network and the technical and bureaucratic hitches that add to it.

While the worst-hit areas are West Kochi and Vypeenkara (Vypeen islands), even Ernakulam city has begun to feel the pressure of water shortage in the recent past. However, the shortage of water in the city and in rural areas is different, according to activists of various peoples' initiatives for water. According to unofficial estimates, the Vypeen islands alone need at least 15 mld (million litres per day) of water, says T.C. Subramanian, convener of Vypeen Kudivella Samara Samithi. The region was promised 10 mld from the yet-to-be-completed Ad hoc Water Supply Augmentation Scheme (earlier known as Hudco Scheme). Following agitations launched by the people, Vypeen was promised 2 mld of water as interim relief. But in actuality, the area receives only below 2 mld water.

However, this has led to claims and counter claims for water from residents of different parts of the city. When temporary relief of 2 mld water was promised for Vypeen, residents of many other parts felt left out. People of Mulavukadu and Vallarpadam now want to tap the pipes supplying Vypeen to meet the shortage of water in their areas. Illegal tapping is rampant in these areas, say officials of Kerala Water Authority. The crisis is acute at Chellanam, Fort Kochi and Mattanchery, which lie at the end of the distribution line. The pressure gets low by that end, resulting in a feeble drip of water, which has to be collected at ground level. Majnu Komath of Goshree Action Council says the future development of Vypeen as the hub of Kochi's industrial development should be considered well before planning any more projects for the region.

Charles George, chairman of West Kochi Kudivella Samara Samithi, says the recent muddying of the Periyar has aggravated the problem. Water shortage is a common issue even in the heart of Ernakulam, where it was not so acute till the recent past. Rangadasa Prabhu, president of Apex Council of the Ernakulam District Resident Associations Apex Council, says water shortage is reported from Kadavanthra, Thevara, Kaloor, Ponekkara, Elamakkara and many other places.

The residents of LIG (Low Income Group) houses in Panampilly Nagar, had demanded a direct line from the Thammanam Pump House last year. The LIG Owners Association did manage to get a separate pump house, but the reprieve was short lived. For the last one month, the supply has again become irregular, requiring additional supply in tankers.

Agitations and sit-ins for water has become the norm for the Kochi residents. Each year, the local people are forced to take to streets, to ensure one of the basic rights.

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