THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state government’s plan to introduce CIAL
model company for supply of drinking water will not hamper Kerala Water
Authority’s (KWA) ambitious project to introduce packaged drinking
water. According to officials of KWA, the packaged drinking water
project, which was conceptualized in 2010, will be revived.

KWA
MD Ashok Kumar Singh said the department will soon submit a revised
estimate for the project. “We have decided to submit a revised estimate
of the packaged drinking water project
prepared in 2010. Earlier the budget was around Rs 5 crore. We will
have to revise it as there were no takers for the tender floated by us.
The estimated cost may be Rs 10-11 crore,” he said.

The KWA
plan is to set up a plant of capacity 7,500 litres per hour at
Aruvikkara. The plant will use Reverse Osmosis technology with UV and
Ozone sterilization to produce quality packaged drinking water.
According to KWA, the product will be available in sizes of 200 ml
pouch, 200ml, 500ml, 1 litre and 2 litre bottle and 20 litre refillable
can.

KWA was planning to commission the project in January
2011. But the project got stuck due to various reasons ranging from lack
of technical expertise of contractors to poor budget.

Singh
said that soon-to-be introduced Kerala Drinking Water Company will not
bring any changes in the schemes planned by KWA. “We will continue with
projects such as packaged drinking water scheme. In fact, the drinking
water company will not have access to water sources already used by
KWA,” Singh said.

Introduction of package drinking water by KWA
is expected to bring an end to the monopoly of private companies, who
charge exorbitant rates for packaged drinking water.