KOCHI : The adage ‘Water, water everywhere but not a drop to drink’ has become a harsh reality for the around 10 families living on Valiyavattom island in ward number 7 of Njarackal panchayat. The plight of the families, comprising the elderly, doesn’t end with just the water woes. These helpless people also suffer from a lack of road connectivity.
“These families are cut off from not only the mainland but also the other areas on the island. It is as if they have been marooned on an island within an island,” said Santhoshkumar T A, a resident. According to him, the residents have time and again taken up the issue of the unavailability of drinking water with the authorities concerned.
“But a solution for their issues seems to be a distant dream,” he added. According to another resident, who didn’t want to be named fearing adverse response from authorities, the water supply got cut off after the new road was constructed.
“The construction of the new road led to pipeline breakage and the KWA authorities closed it permanently. Now, we have to rely on a public tap on the other side of the island,” he says.
The water supply to Valiyavattom Island comes from two different directions. “Our pipe connection comes from the island called Nedungad. While the connection to other wards in Valiyavattom is from another island. Even when the water supply was available, since we are at the farthest end of the pipeline, the outflow used to be very low,” says Santhosh.
According to him, the families have to row across to the other island to collect water and walk to their homes with pots on their heads on narrow bunds.
“The area where these families live comprises of paddy fields and prawn farms. There are no roads here. There are only narrow bunds,” a resident said. According to Santhosh, even if applications are invited from the contractors to construct roads, nobody has been showing any interest.
“They find that the cost of construction is higher compared to the amount being earmarked by the panchayat. So nobody takes up the project. However, the ones who suffer due to this are the residents. We are still living in an era when roads were never heard of. If you want to get a feel of the yore, a trip to the island will give you a picture. The lack of roads is a problem for the students too,” he said.