THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala Water Authority has got administrative sanction of Rs 5 crore to set up CCTV cameras at its water treatment plants (WTP) and 154 pumphouses in the state. The few CCTV cameras installed a few years ago have not been working and the loss incurred due to this has not been ascertained yet. The employee union affiliated to CITU has opposed it saying priority should be given to setting up toilet facilities for the staff at first.
The state government sanctioned Rs 5 crore under the head ‘Energy efficiency improvement, optimisation of electromechanical items, safety audit and ensuring safety in operation of WTP and pump houses’.The KWA has 154 major raw water pumphouses associated with WTPs with a capacity of more than 5 mld. The management has proposed to have the pumphouses covered by surveillance cameras to ensure safety. “The installation of cameras has to be completed by August end.
It has to be undertaken by the executive engineer of each public health division. KWA is also going ahead with automation of pumping stations,” said KWA managing director S Venkatesapathy’s order dated June 13. But this has been challenged by the Kerala Water Authority Employees Union (CITU) state committee citing that the authority is going through a financial crisis with it not being able to provide provident fund and other pensionary benefits, medical reimbursements and salary reforms.
The union claimed that more than 2,500 employees who work at plants and pumphouses are depending on neighbouring houses and organisations to attend the nature’s call. “Toilets are not there in new pumphouses which are under construction. Despite the state government sanctioning crores of rupees for improving the infrastructure, the management has not done it,”said a union office-bearer.