The New Indian Express         04.09.2013

In the backdrop of allegations by councillors that water diversion was the primary reason behind the severe water crisis that hit the city recently, Mayor Tony Chammany on Tuesday announced that a special committee is being constituted to probe the reasons behind the water shortage. The Mayor said the decision was taken during a meeting with Minister for Water Resources P J Joseph in the presence of MLAs and engineers. “There are allegations that water meant for Kochiites is being diverted to other areas. Councillors have also raised doubt about leakage of pipelines.

These anxieties were discussed in the meet and the minister has appointed a special team to investigate these matters. The Superintendent Engineer has been asked to monitor the probe. The corporation will take necessary action once this team submit its report,” the Mayor said. In the council meeting, councillors alleged that improper functioning of the KWA had led to the water crisis. Councillors, cutting across party lines, raised an uproar when the Mayor postponed a special council meeting to discuss the financial crisis in the Corporation. The meeting is scheduled for September 23. Chairman of Development Standing Committee T J Vinodkumar said being an important meeting, the decision to postpone should have been taken with little more seriousness. Opposition councillors N A Shafeeq and C A Shakeer also strongly opposed the decision. However, the Mayor opined that the postponement would benefit a more serious discussion on the topic.