THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In 2018, when the harsh summer left 42,000 people in Chemmaruthy panchayat reeling under severe water shortage crisis, the panchayat requested the then district collector to help take over the open quarries there, which stopped functioning over 12 years ago and had ample water. After checking the viability of the project, the quarries were taken over by the collector. Joining hands with Kerala Water Authority (KWA), a set of purification systems worth `5 lakh were installed in one of the quarries. As a result, the residents of Chemmaruthy now get free water from the quarry.
“There are many areas in Chemmaruthy where pipe connection has not fully reached. We have a huge colony in our panchayat and bringing water to the area is very important as they are often the worst-hit. There is a pipeline of the panchayat, as well as that of the Vamanapuram project.
However, there is severe water scarcity in the Vamanapuram project, which means majority of the panchayat is now relying on water from the quarry,” said Alihassan Salim, Chemmaruthy panchayat president. “We have tested the quality of the water and it can be used for drinking purposes,” he added. There are six quarries in the area and the civic body is now using only one.