Despite 60% shortage in rainfall, city survives a difficult summer

Thiruvananthapuram: Despite witnessing a 60% deficient rainfall in the district, the Kerala water authority (KWA) is surviving this summer without much trouble.
With the India meteorological department predicting onset of monsoon within 20 days, the officials of KWA are heaving a sigh of relief.
Though water level of Peppara dam, city’s main source of drinking water, was dipping at a faster rate, the current level of 99 metres is enough to supply drinking water to city for another 45 days.
Against a normal of 230.8mm rainfall, the district recorded a rainfall of 92.4mm since March 1. The catchment areas of Peppara did not receive enough rainfall this summer and the water level was depleting.
However, the situation was much better than last two years. “We have enough water at the reservoir to meet the drinking water demands of the city for the next two months,” said a KWA official at Aruvikkara.
Meanwhile, the KWA has submitted an online application to the ministry of forest and environment (MoEF) to raise the water level at Peppara.
Currently, the dam could store water up to 107.5 metres, though its full reservoir level is 110.5 metres.
KWA could commission new projects such as a 75mld treatment plant under AMRUT and bottling water plant at Aruvikkara only after raising the water level at the reservoir.
“The online submission of application, which required a lot of documents, is completed. Now we will have to answer various queries from MoEF,” said a KWA official.
The KWA officials have also taken steps to introduce the issue of raising the water level of Peppara in the agenda of MPs’ meeting, which is scheduled to happen once the newly elected members of parliament assume charge.
Though KWA has submitted the application ahead of the onset of monsoon, it is unlikely to reap the benefits of this year’s monsoon as the permission will arrive only after a few months. Now, the shutters are placed at 107.5 metres and KWA won’t be able to store water above this level.
Two years ago, KWA had to pump water from Neyyar reservoir to Aruvikkara after water level at Peppara hit rock bottom after a poor monsoon.
After this crisis, KWA began discussions to stop its dependence on Peppara as the single source for distributing drinking water to city areas. It has begun steps to tender a new water supply scheme with Neyyar as a second source. This project will bring additional 100mld of water to the city per day. The water supplied from Aruvikkara is around 270mld.
KWA officials said that raising the water level will submerge only a small portion of the road leading to Podiyakala tribal settlement and not any forest area.