Water crisis plagues Kazhakoottam as demand and supply gap widens
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Yet another summer is here and Kazhakoottam — the rapidly developing IT city — continues to grapple with a severe water crisis. According to the Kerala Water Authority (KWA), there is a 10 MLD gap in the demand and supply and presently they are ensuring water supply by controlling the valves.
Several wards in the Kazhakootam constituency, including Edavacode, Sreekaryam, Chellamangalam, Powdikonam, Chempazhanthy, Njandoorkonam, Mannanthala, Attipra, Kulathoor, Kazhakootam and Kattayikonam, struggles with water crisis. Lack of mini tankers for supplying water to residential areas with road accessibility issues is a major crisis in many areas in Kazhakootam.
Chellamangalam ward councillor Gayathri Devi C said that unavailability of mini water tankers is a major challenge. She said that there are many pockets where big tankers cannot reach and the KWA doesn’t have long hoses to supply water to such areas. “Hundreds of families in my ward are at the receiving end and we have to request for the water a day ahead. The big water tankers are unable to reach these problem areas and they park on the PWD main road. It’s a huge stress for families here,” said Gayathri Devi.
Complaints galore even before the peak summer as the water crisis aggravates in many parts. Around 400 families under the Arasumoodu Residents Association have been struggling with a severe water crisis for years now. “We have staged so many protests and now they are supplying water twice a week,” said secretary S Gopakumar, Arasumoodu Residents Association.
According to KWA, the number of accommodation units is rapidly increasing in Kazhakoottam and there are already around 80 major flats. “We are controlling the valves to ensure water supply to Technopark and other major institutions in the region. When the crisis worsens, the corporation will be making arrangements to supply water in tankers for the residents,” said an official of KWA.
Age-old pipelines and recurring bursts are the main reasons why the KWA is unable to meet the growing demand in Kazhakootam area. It is learned that the pipeline from Peroorkada to Manvila is more than 25 years old and the project to replace the pipeline with new ones got approval back in 2019.
A senior official of KWA told TNIE that the Rs 68 crore project has been tendered. “The contractor has already placed the order for pipelines and the work will begin immediately,” said the official. Owing to apathy and delays in making decisions, the project encountered cost escalation.
Growing demand
Around 400 families under the Arasumoodu Residents Association have been struggling with a severe water crisis for years
The number of accommodation units is rapidly increasing in Kazhakoottam, according to Kerala Water Authority
Age-old pipelines and recurring bursts are main reasons why KWA is unable to meet the growing demand in Kazhakootam area