The Hindu         11.01.2011

Meenad water scheme to be commissioned next month

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)-aided Rs.295 crore
Meenad drinking water scheme of the Kerala Water Authority (KWA) will be
commissioned by Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan during the first week
of February. The scheme will cover 13 grama panchayats and the Paravur
municipal area in Kollam district.

As part of a pre-commissioning exercise, Water Resources
Minister N.K. Premachandran inspected the water intake pumping station
of the scheme on the banks of Kallada River at Tholikode and the water
treatment plant at Panamkuttimala on Monday. After the inspection, he
told presspersons that the trial run of the scheme was a success.

While transmission pipes had been laid and 14 storage
tanks constructed, the supply will initially cover only five grama
panchayats — Karavallur, Anchal, Edamulakkal, Ummannur and Elamad. This
is because the laying of distribution pipes in the other eight
panchayats and Paravur town has not been completed.

“Inefficiency on the part of the contractor who was
awarded the pipe laying work is responsible for the delay,” Mr.
Premachandran said. Therefore, the eight panchayats and Paravur will be
covered by the scheme in phases. The panchayats are Pooyapally, Veliyam,
Mayyanad, Nedumpana, Adichanallur, Chirakara, Poothakulam and
Chathannur.

More than five lakh persons stand to benefit from the
scheme which covers an area of over 319 sq. km. Water is being
distributed to beneficiaries at the rate of 100 litres a person living
in panchayat areas and 150 litres a person living in Paravur town.

The treatment plant has the capacity to purify and
supply 73 million litres of water a day. The water for supply will be
pumped to the balancing reservoir situated above the plant by two 275 HP
pumps. From there water will reach the entire coverage area by
gravitational force, thereby avoiding the use of electricity.

Two 970 HP pumps at the intake station will pump water
from Kallada River to the treatment plant situated 120 m above and 1.5
km away from the intake station. The scheme has a transmission pipe
network of 80 km and a distribution pipe network of 920 km. For a period
of two years from its commissioning, the operation and maintenance of
the scheme will remain with the contracting company. Only after that
will the scheme come under the full control of the KWA.