The Hindu 18.01.2011
KWA draws Mayor’s flak
Five-day workshop on urban governance begins
Basic issues: Mayor A.K. Premajam inaugurating a workshop on urban
governance and management partnership programme in Kozhikode on Monday. —
photo: S. Ramesh Kuurup
Mayor A.K. Premajam on Monday expressed her displeasure over supply of
drinking water by the Kerala Water Authority (KWA) in the city.
“Water management is inefficient, with erratic
distribution networks and frequent bursting of pipes. Water is supplied
only on alternative days. Old pipes burst when water pressure is high.
Many of these pipes require urgent replacement. A Rs.25-crore
rehabilitation package is yet to take off. Official procedures are
delaying the implementation,” the Mayor said.
Prof. Premajam was inaugurating a five-day workshop on
urban governance and management partnership programme, organised by the
Local Self Government Department; the Kerala Sustainable Urban
Development Project (KSUDP); the Temasek Foundation, a
Singapore-government investment firm; and the Singapore Cooperation
Enterprise.
The workshop focuses on water management and solid waste management.
The responsibility of the civic body had increased with
the merger of Beypore, Elathur and Nallalam- Cheruvannur gramapanchayats
to the Corporation, the Mayor said.
She said the geographical area had increased by 40 sq m
and the population had increased by 2 lakh in the city, compounding the
problems faced by the Corporation authorities. People residing in slum
areas and middle-class families were the worst hit.
Prof. Premajam said rapid urbanisation had provided immense facilities but had also brought several disadvantages.
The biggest menace was from plastic waste. Now
corporation faced the task of safely disposing plastic accumulated in
public places and street corners.
Steps had been taken to improve the situation at the garbage dumping ground at Njeliyanparamba.
The waste rejected from treatment plant was still piling
up at the site. Solid waste management had become difficult with the
merger of gramapanchayats, the Mayor said.
Speaking on the occasion, Anindita Das Gupta, Chief
Urban Planner from Singapore, lauded the functioning of the Kudumbasree
units involved in the door-to-door collection of household garbage in
the city.
Simon Choor, team leader for water management, said the workshop would help to share experiences gained in Singapore.
K. Krishnakumar, training officer, KSUDP, said the
workshop would provide the officials with an opportunity to apply
concrete lessons in the city. It would also explore the potential for a
long-term collaboration between Kerala and Singapore.
