The Hindu 06.04.2010
Water wastage: inspection begins
Staff Reporter
| Acute water scarcity in Kozhikode |
KOZHIKODE: A four-member working squad comprising officials of the Kerala Water Authority (KWA) and the Collectorate on Monday conducted surprise inspections to detect misuse and wastage of drinking water in the Corporation limits.
The squad consisting of an assistant executive engineer, assistant engineer and overseer from the KWA and a junior superintendent from the Collectorate will continue the inspection in the city in the coming days.
The move comes at a time when the city is reeling from water scarcity owing to drought conditions. A task force was formed last week with the District Collector as chairman and the Kozhikode KWA executive engineer as convener.
The KWA executive engineer said the water requirement for Kozhikode city was 142 million litres per day (MLD) of which the KWA provided 52 MLD under normal circumstances. However, due to drought conditions, the supply capability of the KWA had fallen significantly. The KWA has divided the city into various zones and is regulating water supply to each zone to ensure equitable distribution of water.
The supply valves to areas in the hilly parts of the city which are facing the brunt of the water shortage are kept open to get 16 hours of continuous water supply instead of the normal eight-hour shifts to other parts. In the suburbs and parts of the Corporation with rural characteristics, the KWA is erecting temporary bunds to store water and distribute from them.
A cause of concern
The KWA executive engineer said the dependence of Corporation residents on groundwater sources to meet the deficit of 90 MLD was a cause for concern as water level in the wells had fallen and ground water had become too polluted due to seepage of untreated water.
