The Hindu 30.08.2013
KWA plans to speed up pipe-laying works
Faced with public ire and held responsible by the Public Works Department (PWD) for the poor condition of roads, the Kerala Water Authority (KWA) intends to redraw its pipe-laying policy.
As per current rules, the KWA may wait till May 31 to complete pipe-laying, replacement and repair works. With the monsoon setting in by May-end, PWD and other agencies in charge of roads find it impossible to repair the trenched portion, leave alone resurface the road.
“We have advocated a shift in policy so that awarding of works to contractors is advanced by a few months. This has been taken up with Water Resources Minister P.J. Joseph as well,” said KWA’s Chief Engineer A.K. Ramani.
She said many water supply augmentation works, especially those related to drought and pipe replacement, are now awarded in summer months or a little before. “Once orders are placed, it takes about two months for pipes to arrive. Most works take one month to be completed and by this time the rainy season begins, leaving little time for road-restoration works.”
The KWA was chalking out plans to limit pipe-laying works from September to April, when the rains take a break, sources said. There are also complaints that adoption of archaic practices and slack supervision by KWA engineers delay pipe-laying works.
On why the KWA defaulted in handing over funds to the PWD for restoring S.N. Junction-Puthiyakavu Road which had been dug up in May, Ms. Ramani said there was delay in getting the funds approved. Interestingly, the KWA is digging up many city roads even now, hardly a week since the rains took a break. A PWD official said they were forced to give permission for digging, owing to pressure from MLAs.
“There are also instances of roads being dug up without our knowledge.”
