Water contamination in KWA pipes persists in Fort Kochi
Kochi: Residents of Fort Kochi have been facing the issue of water contamination for at least three months. Kerala Water Authority (KWA) has failed to tackle the issue and provide clean water to the residents.
Demanding a solution to the issue, the residents had taken to the streets several times. "We have been bringing the issue to the notice of KWA officials for the past few months. But KWA is still unable to identify the reason for contamination. The officials just speculate that contamination might be caused by water pipelines passing through drains. They said old, dilapidated pipes burst and contaminated water from the drains gushed into them.
But KWA officials are unable to identify the areas where pipes burst have occured, contaminating the pipe water," said Antony Kureethra, councillor from Fort Kochi division.
"The water contamination issue exists at many places in Fort Kochi and Kalvathy divisions and also in some parts of Vypeen," he added.
Residents are hence forced to procure water from private suppliers. "Several families are finding it difficult to buy water from private suppliers as charges are high.
We collected water from the KWA pipeline in our area and took it to KWA office in Fort Kochi. It was visibly contaminated. Discolouration and a foul smell emanating from the water suggested that it was contaminated. But KWA has failed to take any mitigating measures," said former mayor K J Sohan.
Many roads and drains were reconstructed under projects like Smart City. During such works, many KWA pipes burst. This is another reason for water contamination, said locals.
According to KWA officials, a shortage of workers is one of the reasons for delay in carrying out repair works. "We are trying to procure labourers for repair works. There are certain issues with identifying the leakage spots too. Anyway, we are making all efforts for repair works," said a KWA official.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
Trials begin for Ujani-Solapur water pipeline project
Kolhapur: Trials have started for the Rs842 crore Ujani-Solapur parallel water pipeline project, after is recent completion. Solapur city, with a population of 12 lakhs, suffers from chronic water scarcity. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The city sources water from the Ujani Dam, located 80 km from the city, and from the Hipparga barrage. Most of the water is supplied from the dam. The water is released into the Bhima river and is pumped from the pumping stations. However, after the water is released for the city, it is lost for irrigation and percolates—around 30-40% of the water is lost in this way. The city will receive water from double-parallel pipelines directly from the dam to the city. Solapur city is included in the Smart City project, through which the centre sanctioned funds for the pipeline project, with some funds from the National Thermal Power Corporation and the state govt, in which 30% of the share will be from the Solapur Municipal Corporation. Vyankatesh Choube, technical officer of the smart city project, said, "The infrastructural works are complete. The trials have started, which will soon be completed, and the water supply project will be commissioned." Asim Gupta, principal secretary of the urban development department, will visit the project sites on Thursday. He will then hold a meeting of the Solapur City Development Corporation at the municipal corporation building. After taking stock of the project, the date for the inauguration of the project will be announced. Solapur city requires 250 million litres of water every day. The water treatment plant (WTP) with a capacity of 60 MLD will be constructed as part of the project. The pipeline project has a capacity of 170 MLD, and the rest will be arranged through other sources.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Time of India
Water contamination in KWA pipes persists in Fort Kochi
Kochi: Residents of Fort Kochi have been facing the issue of water contamination for at least three months. Kerala Water Authority (KWA) has failed to tackle the issue and provide clean water to the residents. Demanding a solution to the issue, the residents had taken to the streets several times. "We have been bringing the issue to the notice of KWA officials for the past few months. But KWA is still unable to identify the reason for contamination. The officials just speculate that contamination might be caused by water pipelines passing through drains. They said old, dilapidated pipes burst and contaminated water from the drains gushed into them. But KWA officials are unable to identify the areas where pipes burst have occured, contaminating the pipe water," said Antony Kureethra, councillor from Fort Kochi division. "The water contamination issue exists at many places in Fort Kochi and Kalvathy divisions and also in some parts of Vypeen," he added. Residents are hence forced to procure water from private suppliers. "Several families are finding it difficult to buy water from private suppliers as charges are high. We collected water from the KWA pipeline in our area and took it to KWA office in Fort Kochi. It was visibly contaminated. Discolouration and a foul smell emanating from the water suggested that it was contaminated. But KWA has failed to take any mitigating measures," said former mayor K J Sohan. Many roads and drains were reconstructed under projects like Smart City. During such works, many KWA pipes burst. This is another reason for water contamination, said locals. According to KWA officials, a shortage of workers is one of the reasons for delay in carrying out repair works. "We are trying to procure labourers for repair works. There are certain issues with identifying the leakage spots too. Anyway, we are making all efforts for repair works," said a KWA official.
Time of India
6 days ago
- Time of India
Tolankere lake reels under stench from sewage-mixed water
Hubballi: The foul odour from Tolankere lake in Hubballi has been increasing day by day giving an unpleasant experience to visitors and commuters alike. Visitors and morning walkers have been complaining about the stench emanating from the sewage-mixed water. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now When the plan was made to develop the lake, it was filled with sewage. The lake and the park were developed under the Smart City project at a cost of about Rs 35 crore. Now, the development work is complete. The lake is now being managed by an agency with the income generated from the entry fee, and other activities at the park. Prakash Matti, a visitor, said, "The lake was developed under the Smart City project, but the authorities concerned failed to maintain it. Visitors to the park have to endure the foul smell. The HDMC should clean the lake and ensure proper maintenance." A resident of Kumar Park, Veeresh Patil, said till now, the officials have not found a way to prevent the entry of sewage water into the lake. Meanwhile, HDMC executive engineer Vittal Tubake said the entry of sewage water into the lake was completely blocked three or four months ago, but it will take time for the water to clear. "Efforts are being made to provide a permanent solution for this. However, it will take time," he said. "Now, the STP has been releasing only treated water into the lake. However, the old water has low oxygen levels and stinks. Necessary steps need to be taken to increase the oxygen levels in the water," he added.
