KOCHI: Residents of Tripunith ura and surrounding seven panchayats are facing a severe shortage of water supply even before the summer sets in, thanks to the receding water level at the intake well in river Muvattupuzha at Choondy.
The Choondy project with a capacity of 46 MLD (million litres per day) is now supplying only 24 MLD to areas under its distribution network of which 10 MLD is exclusively for Tripunithura.
While the residents of rural areas can depend on well water, hundreds of high-rise apartments and commercial complexes in Tripunithura are solely dependent on the water from Choondy.
The water level in the river at Choondy, from where the Kerala Water Authority (KWA) pumps water for the project, has dropped drastically thanks to sand-mining and the failure of the irrigation department to build a permanent check dam at Ramamangalam in Muvattupuzha river.
“Water supply from Choondy is hit due to depleted river water level,” said John Joseph, member of Poothrikka panchayat.
“Though the KWA officials have constructed a temporary bund near the intake point, it’s not a sustainable solution. The residents of the areas have always been complaining of irregular water supply.”
KWA assistant executive engineer at Choondy T. S. Indira pointed out that the discharge water from Moolamattam power house after the power production released through Malankara dam reaches the river.
“When the power production is scaled down, the quantity of discharge water will be the minimum affecting the water level,” she said.
If the shortage aggravates and the KWA concedes the demand of Tripunithura residents to provide them water from its Aluva plant, it might affect the supply to the city and outskirts, too, it is pointed out.
