With summer fast approaching, Kochi is likely to witness severe water crisis this year too. Though the Kochi Corporation has plans to commission the Maradu Water Treatment Plant project this year, the civic body is not sure of completing the project before March.

The land acquisition on three villages in the Piravom area is yet to be completed. As per the `201-crore project implemented under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), water will be drawn from Pazhoorkkadavu at Muvattupuzha river and brought to the treatment plant at Maradu which will have a capacity to treat 100 million litres of water. 

The recycled water from the plant is expected to solve the potable water crisis at Kochi and neighbouring municipalities, including Maradu. The water will be supplied mainly to the West Kochi region, which is reeling under acute water shortage, including Chellanam, Edakochi, Fort Kochi, Naval Base, Thevara and Port areas.

“The construction of the water treatment plant is almost completed. But pipe laying at the National Highway side and the acquisition of plots at three villages are yet to be completed. This is expected to delay the commissioning of the Plant further,” said a top Corporation official.

The projectlaunched in 2007, was on a standstill for nearly one-and-a-half year following the opposition raised by local bodies in Piravom against cutting the Nadakkavu-Koothattukulam Road for laying the pipes.

The issue was sorted out only in 2012. Another hurdle in front of the authorities is the clearance from National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) for road cutting to lay the pipe lines for the project.

As per the norms of NHAI, the tarred road cannot be dug or cut. The Corporation will also have to seek an exemption from the Centre, for digging NH.