THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Despite the rising summer heat, the much-hyped drinking water kiosk project implemented by the Smart City Thiruvananthapuram Ltd (SCTL) to make clean drinking water available for residents and the floating population in the city is yet to become fully operational in many areas.
It is learnt that SCTL has been able to commission only 12 out of the 25 water kiosks. The facility at Thampanoor — a busy spot that hosts both the Thampanoor bus terminal and Central Railway Station — is devoid of water supply connection, and is hence useless. With the city facing an acute water shortage, the floating population is being forced to buy bottled water.
According to SCTL officials, the delay in getting permissions from the Kerala Road Fund Board (KRFB) and other agencies that have ownership of the roads is the major reason for the delay. “We have requested permission to dig up roads to lay water pipes, but the process is dragging on. The kiosks have been installed at 25 busy points and 12 of them were inaugurated in August 2021,” said an official. The project cost around `2.2 crores.
According to officials of KRFB, the applications submitted by SCTL needs more clarity. “We received four applications from SCTL and we carried out site inspections. But we will be able to assess the restoration cost of the roads only if they clarify the extent of damage,” said an official.
President of Federation of Residents’ Association Thiruvananthapuram (FRAT) MS Venugopal said making clean drinking water available to citizens is one of the primary responsibilities of the local body. “More drinking water kiosks should be installed in the city to make things easier. Almost every project drags on like this, causing inconvenience to the public,” he said.
Kiosks yet to be commissioned