THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Weeks, after it chalked out an ambitious plan to provide 55 lakh new water connections in the state, mainly in villages, by 2024 as part of the Central government’s Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), the Kerala Water Authority, is having second thoughts due to the hike in power charges. Moreover, the authority also plans to hike water charges.KWA pays more than `300 crore annually in electricity bill and the amount will double if it goes ahead with new connection plans and increase its customer base.
“New schemes will be commissioned to meet the target of JJM, but the tariff structure will need frequent revision if not implemented carefully,” said a top KWA officer. Meanwhile, the KWA is planning to revise the charges after the KSEB increased its tariff by 11.5 per cent this year. Water Resources Minister K Krishnankutty said there was no option but to increase the tariff as the hike in power charges has cost KWA an additional monthly expenditure of Rs 5 crore. The KWA last increased water tariff in 2014.
Power bill forms 30 per cent of KWA’s expenditure. It has 1,080 water supply schemes, of which 230 are major ones. The water authority currently owes KSEB Rs 1,320 crore.“The government should intervene and ask KSEB to provide KWA powe for its operation at domestic rates,” said Association of Kerala Water Authority Officers president Santhosh Kumar R V.
KWA plans to tap solar energy
While Water Authority’s consumption is charged at high-tension industry rates, power for Jalanidhi Project, which runs water supply schemes predominantly in rural areas, is charged at domestic rates.
The trade unions have already opposed the Water Resources Department’s plan to close down two lakh public taps in the state in the guise of implementing JJM. The state will have to allocate Rs 17,500 crore as its share over the next five years.
To reduce the burden caused by electricity bill, KWA plans to tap solar energy. It has tied up with government-run Agency for Non-Conventional Energy and Rural Technology (Anert) to install solar panels on the rooftops of buildings and on vacant lands owned by KWA to generate 13.5 megawatt of power daily.