KOCHI: The root of the problem of water shortage faced by the residents of Kochi in many areas may, in fact, be roots themselves. For, the KWA authorities on Friday came across a huge growth of roots within the three-inch underground pipe laid years ago to take water to the residents of Chandrathil road, Edapally.
Over 150 families in the area had been hit by water shortage for a long time and the residents association had taken up the matter with the higher authorities, including the MLA and the Collector. Thinking that it was owing to lack of pressure, a new connection was given from the main road, but the situation did not improve.
Finally, the KWA engineers solved the problem through a carefully planned action. They cleaned up the pipes on the road from the Edappally Post Office junction to the Chandrathil road extension covering a distance of over one km. A lot of blocks were cleared by pumping out slush, mud and dirty water. But the engineers had the biggest surprise when they stuck upon the roots within the PVC pipe some two metres under the earth at the junction between Chandrathil and Anjumana roads. The residents too were shocked by the sheer size of the villain that had deprived them of drinking water for nearly two years.