Serious and consistent efforts are being made for renovating the sewage system in the capital city, proportionate to population, according to Water Resources Minister P J Joseph.
The Minister told K Muraleedharan, while responding to a submission in the Assembly on Wednesday, that it is true that small pipelines forming the sewage network of the city are not adequate to carry the load. Moreover, the old manholes built with bricks have become obsolete. Estimates are being made for concreting the 1,200 damaged manholes and renovation of pump houses under the JNNURM scheme.
Muraleedharan had charged that unauthorised sewage connections were being given in many parts of the city, magnifying the entire issue. Joseph assured him that strict action will be taken against those found involved in such fraud.
The Minister said that administrative sanction has been accorded to lay new sewage lines along the 498-metre stretch from Jagathy Junction to Killiyar, where land acquisition is not needed. A huge project entailing a total outlay of Rs 56 crore for the Koottamvila-Maruthamkuzhy-Jagathy region has been taken up.
Directives have been given for preparing the detailed project report, with split-ups for areas where land acquisition is necessary and not required. Sanction was accorded for the project way back in 1980 itself, but was cancelled later for technical reasons.