KOCHI: With mercury levels going up steadily, the Kochi Corporation is feeling shortage of drinking water. The corporation council meeting discussed the issue at length on Tuesday, with the councillors urging the mayor to address it immediately. They said water supplied in tanker lorries is not sufficient.
Tuesday being the International Women’s Day, Deputy Mayor K A Ansiya chaired the meeting for a few hours. The meeting criticised Kerala Water Authority (KWA) officials for their apathy. Councillor Priya Prasanth said only 25 MLD of water is supplied within the corporation limits when the actual demand is 45 MLD.
Ansiya said a high-level meeting would be convened in the presence of Water Resources Minister Roshy Augustine and officials from KWA to resolve the issue.The council also agreed to approve the vending zones identified within the corporation limits by the town vending and town planning committees.
The progress report on the implementation of the Street Vending Act and the identified vending zones will be submitted to the High Court of Kerala on March 18. The council also reviewed the construction of the corporation’s new complex at Marine Drive.
The mayor said Rs 39 crore more will be required to complete its work. Though the building’s initial estimated cost was Rs 24 crore, it has gone up. A share of the plan fund will be utilised to complete the project while the remaining amount will be availed as loan from a bank. The state government’s permission will be sought for the same.