The Corporation has planned to involve self-help groups to supply water to slums through pipes.
The model, called ‘stand post water supply’, follows a self-organising supply system.
Stand posts, or connection to a common point in the slum from the mains would be made available, after which internal feeder lines to individual households will be laid by SHGs.
These SHGs would be responsible for day-to-day supply of water to households and would collect money from houses based on their consumption. A meter per each cluster of four households would be installed to gauge the consumption and charges would be collected accordingly by the Corporation. The SHGs, in turn, would charge the households.
The initiative is the first-of-its-kind in the State, says Corporation Commissioner Alby John Varghese. “Water is a basic right. As we cannot supply water to those who don’t pay property tax, we are trying to supply water indirectly through SHGs,” he said. Similar models are operating in cities like Mumbai and Delhi. The move would serve 76,608 persons living in 100 slums.
“Lorries used to undertake around 20 trips a day but many residents complained that they didn’t get water. But such complaints can be avoided with this initiative,” he said.
He said the work for the project was expected to take off in 15 days and would become operational in about three months. Residents would get a supply of at least 135 litres of water per capita per day.
The SHGs would be identified by canvassing through community organisers who are part of the City Livelihood Centre, the nodal body of SHG federations in the district.
Mr. Varghese said that the pricing would be made available in the public domain.