Govt. nod for ADB-funded drinking water project in Kochi
It also decided to issue administrative sanction to include the 190-million litre per day (MLD) water treatment plant in Aluva in the ADB-funded project.
The State government had earlier given administrative approval for the ADB-assisted 24X7 uninterrupted water supply scheme for Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi in 2020. The government had approved an outlay of ₹2,511 crore submitted by the Kerala Water Authority (KWA), the implementing agency, for the project. The ADB loan will constitute 70% (₹1,757.7 crore) of the total amount. The State will chip in with the remaining 30% (₹753.3 crore) as its share.
Later, it was decided to implement the first phase of the project within the Kochi city limits. Two works — renovation of the drinking water distribution network and an expression of interest for selecting a project consultant — had been tendered initially.
The combine of trade unions in the KWA had opposed the project as they feared that it might ultimately result in the privatisation of water distribution system in Kochi.
The project to source 190 MLD water from the Periyar to end drinking water scarcity in and around Kochi was included in the ADB-funded Kerala Urban Water Supply Improvement scheme in Kochi to speed up its implementation.
The 190-MLD project was conceived on 1.57 hectares of KWA-owned land near the agency's water treatment plant in Aluva. The aim was to ensure drinking water supply to areas under the Kochi Corporation, five nearby municipalities, and 13 panchayats. It was mooted since the existing drinking water supply fell short of the domestic and commercial requirements of consumers.
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