KOCHI: Voted to power after about three decades, the UDF, at the maiden meeting of the new council on Tuesday, decided to convene an emergency meeting with the Kerala Water Authority (KWA) to solve the drinking water crisis in the city.
The council decided to discuss with the officials to take necessary steps to solve the problem.
"We will send an all-party delegation to the Water Resources and Local Self-Government ministers to solve the disputes arising out of the digging of roads to lay the pipes of the Maradu water treatment plant," Mayor Tony Chammany said.It was Opposition Councillor N Anilkumar who raised the issue of acute potable water shortage being faced by West Kochi residents. The councillors from the West Kochi area supported Anilkumar.
In his reply, the Mayor said the completion of the construction of the water treatment plant at Nettoor would help solve the potable water shortage in West Kochi area.
"The Rs 201 crore project under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) has the capacity to recycle 100 million litres of water a day. The recycled water from the plant will be supplied to Maradu, Kumbalam, Kumbalangi, Chellanam, Edakochi, Fort Kochi, Naval Base, Thevara and the Port area," the Mayor said.
According to the project, water will be drawn from the Muvattupuzha river at Pazhurkadavu and will be recycled at the proposed plant.
Regarding waste collection, the Mayor directed the health inspectors of the respective circles to ensure proper implementation of the mechanism.