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Water projects for Kuttanad

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Source : The Hindu Date : 10.06.2009

Water projects for Kuttanad

Staff Reporter
Interim, long-term projects discussed at a meet convened by Minister

 


Report on Rs.185-crore long-term project submitted

Blue Brigade, a mobile unit for pipe repair, for Alappuzha too


ALAPPUZHA: Proposals for an interim project and a long-term project to ensure that the people of Kuttanad will not have to consume contaminated water were the outcomes of a meeting convened by Water Resources Minister N.K. Premachandran here on Tuesday.

The meeting, attended by District Collector P. Venugopal, C.K. Sadashivan and Thomas Chandy, MLAs, district panchayat president R. Nazar, Municipal Chairman P.P. Chitharanjan, Kerala Water Authority officials and representatives of the 14 panchayats in Kuttanad, discussed threadbare the issues that led to contamination of water supply in Kuttanad, and in turn, the outbreak of cholera there.

Interim plan

An interim project, based on suggestions by panchayat representatives, would be submitted to the State government within a month of the KWA officials verifying its technical feasibility, Mr. Premachandran said.

This project will ensure adequate supply of water till a Rs.185-crore long-term water supply project was completed. WASCON, the consultancy wing of the KWA, presented a detailed report on the long-term project on the occasion.

Enough funds

The Minister, who said funds would not be an issue for both projects, said the Blue Brigade concept of a mobile unit for repairs and maintenance of water pipelines, being implemented in Thiruvananthapuram, would be extended to Kuttanad and areas under Alappuzha Municipality.

The Blue Brigade, which will reach the spot if the contractor fails to carry out repairs within 24 hours of the complaint being lodged, will also see to it that deals with contractors who repeatedly fail to do maintenance works are invalidated.

Other plans

Electronic chlorination of water from the 55 tube-wells in Kuttanad, using funds from the National Rural Health Mission or other government schemes, establishment of Reverse Osmosis (RO) Plants, at least two each in every panchayat, were among other proposals raised during the meeting.

The RO Plants, which have been tried out successfully in Alappuzha town, will be set up if the local bodies agreed to bear maintenance expenses.

Plan to open barrage

Mr. Premachandran also said the government was considering keeping the Thanneermukkom Barrage open for one year on an experimental basis to see if that will solve the problem of water contamination. Subsidies for farmers, if they suffered any damages as a consequence, would be part of the idea, he said.

Last Updated on Wednesday, 10 June 2009 15:10