THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The move by the Water Resources Department to do away with public taps under the pretext of implementing the Jal Jeevan Mission has encountered stiff opposition from a section of employees.
And the Kerala Water Authority Employees Union (KWAEU) and Association of Kerala Water Authority Officers (AKWAO) are up in arms against the proposal to close around two lakh public taps in the state. A top-level meeting was convened at the Jal Bhavan on Saturday in the wake of government’s decision to finalise JJM which aims to provide 55 lakh water connections by 2024.
CK Hareendran, MLA, who inaugurated the meeting, said public taps should be protected. “Public tap is the right of marginalised sections of society. We should oppose the decision to close public taps,” said CK Hareendran. According to him, JJM should facilitate KWA’s integration with the panchayats.
The trade union leaders voiced concern at the financial burden of implementing JJM. The state will have to allocate Rs 17,500 crore as its share for the next five years. The project requires Rs 3,500 crore every year for the next five years to meet the state’s share, said Santhosh Kumar RV, president, Association of Kerala Water Authority Officers. According to him, Jal Jeevan Mission should focus on allocating resources to revitalise 128 existing projects.
Former Chief Secretary SM Vijayanand delivered the keynote address. He said converting KWA into an autonomous institution had proved a resounding failure. It should instead be considered as a department, he said.The employees too voiced concern at the KWA’s role in the post-JJM scenario. And the trade unions wanted the KWA to continue as a supplier of bulk water instead of focusing on smaller projects under JJM.
V Baiju, KWA executive engineer, Attingal, presented the topic. T J Raghulal, KGOA chief; Shajahan, state treasurer, KSEBOA; and Suresh K, general secretary, Association of Kerala Water Authority Officers spoke. JJM will be implemented jointly by KWA and Kerala Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (KRWSA).