THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: After an inordinate delay, Kerala Water Authority(KWA) has started work on laying a 300 m sewerage line at Pattoor. Administrative sanction for Rs 1.15 crore was granted as early as in August, but red tapism held up the work. Since June 30, drainage water from 20 houses in Pattoor is being pumped out into the nearby canal, which poses serious health hazards to local residents.
The 20 families living at Pattoor have been sitting on a ‘sewage water bomb’, which TNIE had highlighted on July 30. The leakage was spotted on June 30 when the sewerage line underneath one of the houses burst. Initially, KWA wanted to demolish the 20 houses plus the three other plots belonging to the corporation. The drainage from the Pattoor pump house was pumped into the Muttathara Sewage Treatment Plant which is over 5 km away. KWA officials said that for the past two-and-a-half months, 5 MLD sewage water per day has been pumped into the nearby Pattoor canal. A senior KWA official confirmed that finally the work on laying of a new sewage line has begun.
“The work on laying a new sewage line began on Monday. We intend to complete the work this month itself. If not for the incessant rain, the work would have started earlier. A sum of Rs 24 lakh was provided to Kerala Road Fund Board for road cutting,” said a senior KWA officer.
Currently, KWA authorities are trying to lessen the woes of motorists by expediting the laying of the new sewage line. The Pattoor-Pettah four-lane stretch has been experiencing severe traffic congestion for the last few months. When the stretch at Pettah bridge begins, the road becomes narrow with two lanes.