KOCHI: In the footsteps of the Kochi Corporation, which has successfully launched ‘Kochi Water’ in association with the State Women’s Development Corporation, the Ernakulam district panchayat will launch the ‘Periyar’ brand of packaged drinking water. Rs 45 lakh has been earmarked for the unique project in the annual budget for 2017-18 fiscal presented on Thursday. Water will be collected from River Periyar and treated at the plant to be set up at the agriculture farm owned by the district panchayat at Aluva. Periyar water will be sold at Rs 12 per litre. As part of environment conservation and to discourage dumping of bottles in roads and drains, the plan is to give back Rs 2 to customers if they return the bottle after use.
The district panchayat has also proposed to prepare a map of water sources available in all the panchayats in the district. Rs 10 lakh has been earmarked for the project in the budget. It was stated in the budget that the absence of comprehensive and reliable data on the number and location of water sources in rural areas and the availability of water in them adversely affected the planning and implementation of drinking water projects. A codified list of ponds, wells, canals, creeks and rivulets will be prepared which will be used as resource data for planning projects. Areas will be categorized as water-rich and water-stressed areas with details of quantity and quality of water available in various areas. The map will be updated periodically which will help the civic body in planning development projects.
