Funds to tackle water crisis

KOCHI: To solve the potable water crisis in the city, the State Government has allocated Rs 11 crore for acquiring land for the Maradu Water Treatment Plant project. The civic body will be able to acquire the private land for laying pipes between the Muvattupuzha river and the treatment plant in Maradu.The Rs 201-crore Maradu Water Treatment Plant with a capacity to recycle 100 million litres of water a day (mld) was proposed in 2006 as a solution to the shortage of potable water in Kochi, especially the West Kochi area.  The project was later included in the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission(JNNURM). As per the original plan, raw water will be collected from the Muvattupuzha river at Pazhoorkadavu. The recycled water will be supplied mainly to Maradu, Kumbalam, Kumbalangi, Chellanam, Edakochi, Fort Kochi, Naval Base, Thevara and the Port areas which are reeling under acute potable water shortage. However, the project is at a standstill for the last few months owing to protests by the residents of the Piravom area against the digging of  Nadakkavu-Koothattukulam Road for the project. An alternative route was also proposed by the Piravom Municipality. Instead of the originally proposed route of Piravom-Arakkunnam-Mulanthuruthy, the new suggestion was to bring the water to the plant through Vattukunnu, Vettikkal, Pampra and Karoorkavu route.But the civic authorities are yet to take a final decision on the new route. "The decision of the state government to allow funds for acquiring land is indeed a breather for the project. But still we cannot say that the new route is a feasible idea. An additional water tank has to be constructed if we opt for the new route." "The pumping cost alone will be Rs 1.5 crore annually along with electricity charges to the tune of Rs 1.5 crore causing an additional liability of Rs 3 crore annually." "However, we are expecting a favourable decision soon," said Kochi Corporation Town Planning Committee chairman K J Sohan.