The Hindu 06.04.2013
Constituencies bag Rs.50 lakh for water projects
Every Assembly constituency will be provided Rs.50 lakh to implement drinking water projects, Minster for Excise K. Babu has said.
Mr. Babu made the announcement at a meeting of people’s representatives in the district on Friday.
He said a control room would function in the district to check water theft.
Anti-theft squad
An anti-theft squad led by the District Collector would also begin functioning.
Meanwhile, the District Collector has been given Rs.6.5 core to resolve drinking water problems in the district.
Overall, 367 projects worth Rs.7.56 crore had been sanctioned in various constituencies, he said.
A sum of Rs.2.5 crore had been earmarked to supply water through tanker lorries, he said.
Water tanker lorries supply 31 lakh litres of water every day in the district.
Mr. Babu called for speedy execution of drinking water projects.
The people’s representatives in the district demanded that power generation at Idamalayar be increased.
Mr. Babu said the matter would be brought to the notice of the Minister concerned and the KSEB.
“Only when more power is generated, more water can be made available at Boothathankettu and the canals,” he said.
Minister for Civil Supplies Anoop Jacob said the funds sanctioned for the district should be spent effectively.
Needs highlighted
MLAs Joseph Vazhakan, V.P. Sajeendran, T.U. Kuruvila, Benny Behanan, Dominic Presentation, Jose Thetayil, Anwar Sadat, Saju Paul and Ludy Luiz highlighted the needs of their constituencies.
Kochi Mayor Tony Chammany said supply of water in the city had been increased from 65 loads to 80 loads for the past one month.
The cost of the extra load would have to be supported by the State, he said.
District panchayat president Eldose Kunnapilly, municipal chairpersons P.I. Muhammed Ali, R. Venugopal, C.K. Varghese, T.K. Devarajan, Joseph Antony and District Collector P.I. Sheikh Pareeth were among those who participated in the meeting.
