KOCHI: For years, the residents of Valanthakad, a serene island on the outskirts of Kochi, have been reeling under acute drinking water shortage. A solution to the issue is finally in sight with the Maradu municipality initiating a project to lay a new pipeline to the island surrounded by the Vembanad lake.
Municipality chairperson Antony Ashanparambil on Wednesday inaugurated the construction of a new pipeline for which a sum of Rs 17 lakh has been earmarked. “Frequent water leakage from the old pipeline supplying water to the island was one of the main issues that contributed to the water woes in the area.
The issue was so grave that the households at the southern end of the island hadn’t been receiving water for the past several years. Though the officials of the Kerala Water Authority (KWA) held several inspections, they couldn’t fix the issue. We’re now trying to find a permanent solution for the issue,” said Antony Ashanparambil.
The issue turns severe during summer. The municipality often deploys drinking water tankers, and the residents are forced to come in country boats to fill their vessels with drinking water.
The municipality has now decided to lay a bigger pipeline from the Maradu side, which will facilitate water supply to every household, most of whom are poor. The current narrow pipeline runs from the Nettoor side. The stone-laying function of the new pipeline was held at the Valanthakad-Maradu river bank at 10.30 am on Wednesday.
“We have decided to lay a new pipeline from the Maradu side after the KWA authorities failed to fix the issue despite conducting numerous inspections. A sum of Rs 17 lakh has been earmarked for the project, which will be a permanent solution to the drinking water shortage faced by the islanders,” Antony pointed out.