Kochi: While
most of the areas in West Kochi and suburban areas are reeling under
acute drinking water scarcity, a major drinking water project which was
expected to be commissioned by this month is stuck midway.

Though
minister K. Babu announced earlier this year that Piravom project,
which is expected to bring 100 MLD water to the parched areas of West
Kochi, would be commissioned by December, works are still lagging
behind. If the current progress is any indication, the project can be
completed only by March.

A major hurdle that delayed timely
completion of the project was the insistence of the National Highway
Authority of India (NHAI) on the restoration of NH 47 and its service
road after laying the pipeline.

Though NHAI earlier gave the
clearance for road cutting, the Authority demanded restoration of road
using highly expensive materials. For the Kerala Water Authority, which
is carrying out the project, restoring the road to NHAI’s high
specification was not feasible.

To resolve the issue, Minister for
Water Resources P.J Joseph convened a high level meeting last week in
which the NHAI accepted the usual road restoration process.

The
minister also asked the district collector to ensure immediate
restoration of trenched roads after laying pipes. During the meeting,
Minister Anoop Jacob raised the issue of the public agitation against
delay in restoring roads dug for the project.

“Since the NHAI has
agreed to relax their demand for expensive road restoration, road
cutting works can start soon. It is expected that the project will not
be delayed beyond March,” said corporation works committee chairperson
Soumini Jain, who attended the high level meeting.

Though more
than 70 per cent of the pipe-laying works have been completed, the KWA
is yet to complete the tendering process for purchasing pipelines to
finish the project.
The project, which was supposed to be completed
by March 2012, was initially delayed due to opposition from the local
people against digging up of the roads.