The Hindu : Front Page : Kochi will get more water projects, says VS

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Saturday, Oct 06, 2007
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Kochi will get more water projects, says VS

Staff Reporter

— Photo:Vipinchandran

Long-standing demand: Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan inaugurating a drinking-water augmentation project for West Kochi on Friday.

KOCHI: Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan inaugurated the much-awaited drinking-water distribution and augmentation project here on Friday.

At a function organised by the Kerala Water Authority at the Town Hall, he opened a tap set up on the stage and drank from his hand, to the applause of the gathering.

Mr. Achuthanandan said the project was only part of the works for upgrading infrastructure in the city, which was waiting for much-bigger projects. Road and waste-disposal projects were among those that would help the city. The government had extended all support to the Corporation for taking them up.

The water project, formerly known as the HUDCO project, was completed at Rs. 115 crore, lower than the revised estimate of Rs. 136 crore. The project was started in 1995 at an estimate of Rs. 58.5 crore and should have been completed in 1998. One of the main reasons for the delay, given by the water authority, was acquisition of 15 hectares of land, leading to the displacement of 600 families. The estimate was revised in 2004. A loan of Rs. 50 crore was taken. The rest of the amount was released from Plan funds.

The project involved setting up a water-treatment plant of 35-mld (million litres a day) capacity near the plant at Aluva and an underground storage plant each at Elamkulam, Palluruthy, Vaduthala and Puthuvype and laying pipes, with diameters ranging from 600 mm to 1,200 mm, for a distance of 38 km.

Mr. Achuthanandan said more drinking water projects were in the offing in the city under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission.

A Rs. 231-crore project would be set up. Water-treatment plants of 100-mld capacity at Maradu and 285-mld capacity at Kalamassery would come up soon.

He said commuting had become a major problem in the city. Many discussions were held with E. Sreedharan, chief of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, which was considering taking up the Kochi Metro project.

Water Resources Minister N.K. Premachandran, who presided over the function, said 60 mld more of water-supply capacity would make a big difference to people from tomorrow.

The Chief Minister handed over Rs. 5 crore needed for a Goshree Island Development Authority project, estimated at Rs. 32 crore, for Elamkunnapuzha, Nayarambalam and Njarakkal to Mr. Premachandran.

Fisheries Minister S. Sarma; other MLAs from the district; K. Chandran Pillai and Sebastian Paul, MPs; district panchayat president P.S. Shyla; Mayor Mercy Williams; District Collector A.P.M. Mohammed Hanish and others participated.

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