THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Water Resources Minister P J Joseph has said that the Water Resources Department has been in the forefront with regard to performance, by utilising 90 per cent of the plan fund in 2013.
“The department had commissioned 106 projects in 2013 and 186 projects are expected to be commissioned in 2014,” he said.
The Minister was speaking at the stone-laying ceremony of the eco-friendly multi-storeyed building, being built with the assistance of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), on Jalabhavan Campus at Vellayambalam here on Wednesday.
He said that the JICA projects were in the final stage and with coordination from the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JnNURM), it could be completed.
Meanwhile, he stressed the need to have better lab facility to check water quality and prevent water leakage.
K Muraleedharan MLA, who presided over the function, pointed out the lack of coordination between the Kerala Water Authority (KWA) and the Public Works Department (PWD), as a result of which both get affected often.
The building, designed by Habitat, will be completed in 18 months by Mary Matha Construction Company, Muvattupuzha, at an estimated cost of Rs 36 crore. It will have a total area of 11,100 sq metres spread over 12 floors.
The plan is conceived so as to tap natural light in the building and generate electricity through solar panels. This would be the first eco-friendly multi-storeyed building to be completed in the government sector.
KWA technical member T C Subran presented the report. KWA managing director Ashok Kumar Singh, board member K V Mani and ward councillor Palayam Rajan spoke.