Kochi: The move to set up a water desalination plant in Kumbalangi and Chellanam panchayats, plagued by water scarcity for years, is making progress,with an expert team from Delhi visiting the proposed project site on November 19 to study its feasibility.
The plant, proposed by Union minister Prof. K.V Thomas, will have the capacity to produce 1 MLD of water and generate around 2400 units of electricity.
“Studies have shown the desalination plant will be capable of resolving the drinking water issues of the two panchayats,” said Usha Pradeep, president of the Kumbalangi panchayat, adding that an all-party meeting would be convened before the project was given the green signal.
The local body authorities and Kerala Water Authority officials had visited a similar project in Ramanathapuram in Tamil Nadu to study its operation before opting for a desalination plant here.
But some of the local residents are unhappy with the project as they feels its operational cost is too high.
Representatives of organisations like the Vishala Kochi Kudivella Samrakshana Samithi are afraid the cost of water from the plant will be much higher than the water supplied by KWA and people will not be able to afford it.
