Kochi: Residents of Tripunithura and nearby panchayats can heave a sigh of relief as they may get enough drinking water this summer unlike previous years.
The Irrigation department has started construction of the Rs.7.5 crore permanent check dam at Ramamangalam in the Muvattupuzha River which will ensure availability of enough water in the intake well of the Kerala Water Authority pump house, Choondi.
For the last several years, Tripunithura residents were reeling under acute water scarcity during summer days. Hundreds of high-rise apartments and big commercial complexes in Tripunithura are solely dependent on the water from Choondi.
Though the construction of the check dam cannot be completed before this summer, the KWA will build a temporary bund which will serve the purpose. From next year, KWA can save the annual expense of nearly Rs.8 lakhs required for constructing a temporary bund. Every summer, water supply from Choondi pump is hit as the intake well does not have enough water. The shortage is not only because of the low water level but because the course of the river is away from the intake well.
"The proposal for check dam construction was mooted several years ago, but it remained on paper for long and the KWA had to spend a huge amount for construction of the temporary bund. Though the check dam project has got administrative sanction more than a year ago, the works have been delayed," said John Joseph, member of Poothrikka panchayat.
Under the KWA Choondi sub division there are two schemes, the 46 MLD (million litres per day) plant, which caters to Tripunithura, Thiruvankulam, Vadavukod-Puthencruz, Chottanikkara and Udayamperoor and a small plant with a capacity of 7.5 MLD which caters to Aikaranadu, Poothrikka and Thiruvaniyoor panchayats.
