THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Railways’ delay in giving nod to lay the pipeline over a 12.5-metre-long railway tunnel for a Kerala Water Authority (KWA) project has hit over 75,000 households at Balaramapuram and nearby panchayats of Vilavoorkal and Pallichal, which are reeling under water scarcity.
Though all related works, including the construction of the tank for Rs 11 crore at Vanigar Theruvu and laying of the distribution network through Balaramapuram panchayat, were completed in 2017, the fate of the Rs 38-crore project hinged on the Railways’ approval to lay the pipeline over the tunnel through which the Thiruvananthapuram-Nagercoil railway line passes via Balaramapuram.
The delay by the Railways comes even after KWA paid the initial amount it demanded for starting the work. The KWA initially planned to bring the water from its plant in Choozhattukotta passing the railway tunnel which is located 30m under the PWD road. KWA even got the approval of PWD but to
no use.
‘Railways delaying project deliberately’
“The Railways is delaying the project deliberately in view of a railway line expansion. It thinks that disconnecting the pipeline would not be possible during a tunnel demolition,” said an officer of KWA.
Since the Railways’ approval was getting delayed, KWA devised another plan to bring water from Neyyar dam through its Kalippara plant to charge the water tank at Vanigar Nagar. However, it also hit the roadblock as KWA required the Railways’s approval to lay pipeline under the track near Balaramapuram railway station. “Through the second proposal, we can provide water to some of the beneficiaries identified earlier. But without the Railways’ approval, we cannot go forward,” said the officer.
A railway officer said the delay was due to the objection from the accounts department to clear the dues of `12.91 crore by the KWA for the earlier pipe-laying through the Railways’ properties across the state. However, KWA said the decision to levy charges for laying pipeline was taken a couple of months back while the Railways had in principle approved several projects long back.
“The wards of Chamavila and Aithiyoor are the worst affected and people from 12 families depend on one private well,” said Balaramapuram grama panchayat president R S Vasanthakumari. She said she had also approached Union Minister of State V Muraleedharan for resolving the issue.
‘Dues not cleared’
A railway officer said the delay was due to the objection from the accounts department to clear the dues of J12.91 crore by KWA for the earlier pipe-laying through the Railways’ properties across the state. Shashi Tharoor, MP, who led a delegation to get the approval from the Railways earlier said he would follow it up with the railway ministry.