Leaking premo pipes still remain a major concern for KWA

Thiruvananthapuram: Leaking premo pipes in the city continue to haunt Kerala water authority (KWA). This time, the leak was found on the stretch between Peroorkada and Ambalamukku.
Despite numerous pipe bursts and loss of non-revenue water, the KWA is not successful in replacing the remaining premo pipes.
Sources in KWA said that replacement of premo pipes not necessarily required laying of entirely new pipelines. Instead, it could be achieved by providing new interconnections to already laid pipes under Japan International Corporation Agency (JICA)-assisted water supply projects.
Recently, KWA had started pumping additional 10 million litres of water per day to the city. Still the elevated areas of the city were experiencing water shortage. KWA officials had cited non-revenue water through leaks as a major reason for shortage.
Last year, KWA had completed replacement of premo pipes on Sasthamangalam-Peroorkada and Ambalamukku-Muttada stretches. On these stretches, the premo pipes were replaced by more durable ductile iron pipes.
Now, premo pipes laid on stretches like Ambalamukku-Kowdiar-Vellayambalam, Vellayambalam-Sastamangalam and Kowdiar-Pattom-Pottakuzhy-Medical college-Ulloor-Kesavadasapuram have to be plugged at the earliest to reduce non-revenue water.
Of the remaining stretches, one of the major lines is in Pattom-Pottakuzhay-Medical College-Ulloor-Kesavadasapuram stretch. According to sources in KWA, the JICA line laid on the stretch has not provided interconnection.
“The line is directly laid to medical college. The KWA approached Kerala road fund board for permissions for tar cutting to do interconnection works.
The delay in getting tar cutting permission is the main hindrance for such projects,” said a KWA official.
The KRFB is charging around Rs 11,000 per metre square for tar cutting while PWD charges around Rs 7,000 per metre square. Despite attempts by KWA to pay the fund, the KRFB and PWD are not giving permission for tar cutting.
“Permissions are given only for emergency maintenance works. Interconnection works are hit due to non-cooperation of PWD,” said the KWA official.
Laying of alternative rider main would be a costly affair for KWA.
A major share of the pipe laying will go as tar cutting charge. If compared, providing interconnection to already laid JICA lines will be more profitable for KWA than laying new lines.
Around 270 MLD water is being distributed to the city. However, revenue data shows that consumption is just 170 MLD. Around 100 MLD is lost through leaks or as undetected accounts.
The premo pipes, which were laid in 1972, had started reporting leakage within a few years after commissioning.
Some years ago, KWA had announced a pipe policy in which it declared that only metal pipes will be used for water supply.