THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Over three weeks without drinking water supply after the taps ran dry and the terrible ordeal persisting-- the unenviable fate of 15 households living at the third road of Prasanth Nagar housing colony near Akkulam is worse than the worst-case scenario. Though innumerable complaints were lodged with the Kerala Water Authority, but as usual, the complaints fell on deaf ears, the residents said.
Prasanth Nagar, situated next to Centre for Development Studies(CDS), is one of the oldest housing colonies in the state capital. The residents are mostly doctors, engineers, academicians and senior government officers. Retired professor Sally George, who resides at house number 317 with her 76-year-old ailing husband and 48-year-old special needs daughter has her hands quite full.
To make matters worse, with no drinking water, 73-year- old Sally is forced to knock on many doors to get uninterrupted drinking water supply. Sally, who had retired as the head of mechanical engineering department from College of Engineering, Thiruvananthapuram, told TNIE that of late she has realised that living at one of the highest points in the capital city comes at a cost.
“Since Prasanth Nagar is situated on high ground, water shortage has always been a bane for us. When Japan International Cooperation Agency- aided water supply project was launched a few years ago, the residents had heaved a sigh of relief. But, even that did not help to address the issue which led the residents of the third road to take a different water connection from the JICA main connection”, said Sally George. J Sathyarajan, secretary of Prasanth Nagar Residents’ Association, told TNIE that there are 450 houses in the housing colony, but the most affected are the 15 households in the third road.
“Several areas in the housing colony have been experiencing water shortage for close to six months now. We had approached the KWA officials on a number of occasions” Sathyarajan told TNIE. C R Chandrakumar, executive engineer told TNIE that they had spotted a leak at Pongumoodu Junction under a banyan tree which is the villain.
“The roots of the banyan tree have ruptured the pipeline. We will have to trench the road to repair it. We approached the National Highways Authority of India last week for sanction. KWA is expecting to get the sanction within this week and then the drinking water shortage in Prasanth Nagar will be addressed,”said Chandrakumar.