The Government Ayurveda Hospital at Udayamperoor is reeling under severe water crisis with the Kerala Water Authority (KWA) cutting short the drinking water supply to the hospital.
The hospital authorities claim that they are now managing the hospital with water brought in tanker lorries as the KWA water comes only once in a week and that too for a few minutes!
According to an official in the hospital, the KWA had been supplying 2000 litres of water four days a week. “Now, we will consider ourselves lucky if we get water for more than twice a week,” said a top official of the hospital.
There are seven wells in the hospital dug with government fund several years ago. But the water in these wells is unfit for drinking. “As the wells are not cleaned at regular intervals, the water from it cannot be used for drinking. Besides, there is no water treatment system at the hospital,” he said.
The hospital authorities estimate that total water usage is minimum 2 lakh litres per day. The hospital requires a good quantity of drinking water as the hospital comprises 480 patients, a couple of medical college hostels and canteens.
Hence the hospital has been relying on KWA for its drinking water purposes. “But now the KWA only supplies 2000 litres a week. For the rest of the requirements we depend on tanker lorries,” the official said.
The water in the tanker lorries is supplied by the district administration through Tripunithura municipality. “Four water tankers are being used to meet the potable water shortage. This is quite expensive,” an official said.
However, the district administration has been preparing a master plan for a drinking water project on the direction of Union Minister K V Thomas.
“District Collector P I Sheik Pareeth was directed to prepare a project in this regard. But we do not know when the project will take off. We hope that adequate fund will be allotted from the MP fund for the project.” he said.
Meanwhile, the water authority officials said that they would try to increase the water supply to the hospital. “We will study about the issue and will take adequate steps to increase the supply,” said Ashok Kumar, managing director of Kerala Water Authority.