Comprehensive project to overcome water crisis

Attingal: Many panchayats in Attingal have been facing acute drinking water shortage for the past few years. Most of the wells and bore wells in three major panchayats, Pulimath, Nagaroor and Karavaram, have gone dry this summer. The situation was not much different in previous years.
As a solution to the crisis, the state government has recently allotted a fund of Rs 81.81 crore for the implementation of a comprehensive drinking water project, which will serve thousands of people in these panchayats. Attingal MLA B Sathyan said that the project will be funded by Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB).

“The project will bring an end to the drinking water woes of the people of Nagaroor, Pulimath and Karavaram panchayats. Since these panchayats were not covered by schemes of Kerala water authority, the demand for water in these areas has risen quickly. It is going to be one of the biggest drinking water projects in Attingal for which KIFFB funds will be utilized,” said Sathyan.

As per the project, the water for the scheme will be sourced from Vamanapuram River.

Temporary check dams will be constructed across the river, which is one of the major sources of drinking water to Attingal, Vamanapuram and Varkala regions.

For realizing the project, 25 cents each will be purchased immediately using KIIFB fund in Anakudy of Vamanapuram panchayat and Vandithadam in Karavaram panchayat for the construction of pump houses.

“Since we have revenue land available to construct overhead reservoirs, pumps and pump houses in Pulimath, Karavaram and Nagaroor, steps will be initiated to acquire it,” said the MLA.

“The water from the river will be drawn to a pump house, which will be constructed at Anakudy, and it will be pumped to the water treatment plant at Kuttimoodu in Vamanapuram panchayat. To ensure availability of water to more people, the treated water from the plant will be distributed to water tanks at Nellikunnu and Paramukku in Nagaroor, Kadalukani Para in Pulimath and Vandithadam in Karavaram, which are elevated regions. From these regions water will be distributed through pipelines to houses in all three panchayats,” said an offcIal of KWA.

“The project was proposed in the year 2015 to address the water shortage in Attingal constituency but was approved in 2019. The paper works for land acquisition is going on. Since we got technical sanction, estimates and detailed project report for the implementation of project will be prepared soon,” the official said.