The Hindu   14.08.2012

Water supply to resume soon

Barely a week after flash floods struck the eastern hills, swamping pumping stations of the Kerala Water Authority (KWA), and snapping water supply to many regions in the district, the KWA is preparing remedial measures.

Supply will be reinstated to Kannur, Kolacheri and many adjoining areas shortly. The supply system had incurred severe damages after its motors and panel boards were submerged in the floods. Most problems have been rectified.

The authority resumed steps to restore supply by pumping water from the Anjarakandy water supply system, which was facilitated by interconnecting the treatment plants, KWA officials said.

A trial run of the reinstated Kannur water supply system was expected to resume shortly while repair works were on in the Kolacheri project. Water pumping from this scheme had been partially resumed, the officials said.

Water was also being supplied to both Kannur and Mattanur municipalities and 14 adjacent panchayats from the Anjarakandy water supply scheme on Sunday, as the scheme was unaffected by the floods due to its positioning at an elevated level.

The officials had calculated a minimum two-week span for repairs and restoration of supply. Works on the motor and panel boards were resumed soon after the water level came down.

The four pumping motors of 120-horsepower capacity of the Kolacheri water supply system and the two motors of 200-horsepower capacity of Kannur water supply system were damaged in the floods, causing an estimated damage of around Rs.50 lakh.

Along with the Kannur municipality, Chirakkal, Poozhathi, Azhikode, Valapattanam, Edakkad, Elayavoor and Pallikkunnu panchayats receive water from the Kannur water supply scheme.