Top

Water shortage hits Thiruvananthapuram

Lack of pressure prevents water from reaching elevated areas.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Neenu Arun, a young mother having two children, staying at Kavuvila Lane near Jawahar Nagar is dreading the scorching summer season ahead. She has reasons to hate it as her family is already facing drinking water shortage. Last year, Neenu faced water shortage only during May, but this time, already drinking water has become scarce.

Apart from her two children, Neenu’s family comprises her husband and aged father. She told DC that over the last 10 days, water has become scarce. Neenu added that fortunately water came for a couple of hours in the wee hours of the morning at least thrice a week.

“But I do not know how long I can manage with the water trickling from the Kerala Water Authority pipeline. The next three and a half months are going to be crucial. If I don’t get water in the coming months at least once in two days, then I will have to think of some other alternative”, said Neenu.

She is not alone. Akhila, an IT employee, residing at Belhaven Gardens, one of the posh areas at Kaudiar, said that she was already relying on KWA’s tanker lorry. “A neighbour aunty , another house owner and I have pooled in to have water distributed by the KWA tanker lorry water once a week. The borewell in my house has got only a little water. We have already approached KWA to ensure that we get continuous water supply”, said Akhila.

Her neighbour, Joseph Sebastian, a retired senior bank employee, had to move to his daughter’s flat at Kudapanakunnu last May due to acute water shortage. This time, things have already become worse for him. “There are four flats in and around Belhaven Gardens. Wherever there are flats, nearby households face water scarcity. Now, I am getting water at least thrice a week for a few hours in the wee hours of the morning. But I am already dreading the summer months ahead”, said Joseph Sebastian.

Locals have complained that the Blue Brigade van of KWA has shut down the line at the Vellayambalam Square almost every night so that they supply water at their discretion. However, A. Shainamol, managing director of KWA told DC that in certain elevated areas like Belhaven Gardens, Jawahar Nagar, Peroorkada and parts of Vellayambalam were facing drinking water shortage due to lack of pressure.

Summer season has already set in causing water shortage. KWA is on a mammoth mission to implement the Asian Development Bank’s project, ‘24 *7 water supply scheme’ comprising Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kozhikode cities which would be completed in five years”, said Shainamol. The Central Governm-ent has already sanctioned the Rs 2,500 crore ADB’s uninterrupted water supply scheme. But until that is ready, city dwellers have to be under the mercy of KWA’s water supply system from Peppara dam.

( Source : Deccan Chronicle. )
Next Story