The Hindu 12.12.2013
Two major water supply projects launched
10-mld treatment plant in Kallara panchayat
A 10 million litres a day (mld) drinking water treatment
plant (WTP), which will serve nearly two lakh people in five grama
panchayats spread across two Assembly constituencies, was commissioned
on Wednesday, after a wait of nearly 20 years.
The treatment plant forms the axis for two major drinking water supply projects, one launched in 1991 and the other, in 1998.
The
projects — the Kallara-Pangode Accelerated Rural Water Supply Scheme
(ARWSS) in the Vamanapuram Assembly Constituency, and the
Panavoor-Pullampara-Vembayam ARWSS in the Nedumangadu Assembly
Constituency — were also inaugurated on the day. Both will be served by
the 10-mld plant at Thengumkode in Kallara grama panchayat and a
pump-house at Aruvippuram, with water drawn from the Vamanapuram river.
Water Resources Minister P.J. Joseph inaugurated the schemes.
The
Kallara-Pangode scheme will ensure piped water supply to 74,500 people
while the Panavoor-Pullampara-Vembayam ARWSS will benefit 92,750 people.
The
Kallara-Pangode scheme, launched in 1998, will see water from the
Vamanapuram river drawn by a pump-house at Aruvippuram of Pullampara
grama panchayat and pumped to the treatment plant at Thengumkode.
New distribution lines
Treated
water from the plant will reach a 14 lakh-litre overhead tank at
Kodithookikunnu, from where it will be distributed through existing
pipelines in Kallara and Pangode grama panchayats.
A
17-km new distribution network was laid here, apart from installing 35
public taps, while work on laying another 37-km network for areas that
currently do not have a distribution system is in progress.
Sanction for phase II
The
second phase of this scheme, which comprises a Rs.8 crore-project to
install pipelines for another 125km in the two grama panchayats, had
also been sanctioned by the government, the Minister said on the
occasion.
The Panavoor-Pullampara-Vembayam ARWSS,
envisaged in 1991, was launched in 1998 under the Centre’s ARWSS.
However, work came to a standstill when funds from the Centre dried up.
Work was revived a few years ago and a few final touches, including work
on a 35km-distribution network in Vembayam grama panchayat, were
progressing, the KWA officials said, adding that Rs.15 crore had been
spent on this project so far.
Quality of pipes
Mr.
Joseph, inaugurating the projects at functions organised at the
Kanyakulangara Junction and on the WTP premises at Thengumkode, also
said the government had decided to insist on the use of quality pipes
instead of concrete or asbestos pipes for laying distribution networks,
so as to do away with the recurring problem of pipe-bursts.
Koliyakode
Krishnan Nair, MLA, presided over the function at Thengumkode, while
Palode Ravi, MLA, presided over the function at Kanyakulangara Junction.
Ashok
Kumar Singh, Managing Director, Kerala Water Authority (KWA), T.
Subran, Technical Member, KWA, presidents of the five panchayats and
other public representatives and officials of the KWA were present.