Mekkara residents reeling under severe water crisis

KOCHI: For the past several years, 500 of the 694 households in Mekkara under the Tripunithura municipality have been battling severe drinking water shortage. Their plight is despite the check-dam  built by the irrigation department in the Muvattupuzha river at Ramamangalam in 2018. However, the check-dam has helped resolve the drinking water crisis in certain other areas of the municipality. 

The drying up of public wells and frequent bursting of pipeline in the area is also not helping the cause of residents who have to rely on water tankers for their drinking water needs. Throughout Thursday, they didn’t receive a single drop. “The taps in the area had run dry on Thursday. Tanker trucks have also stopped ferrying water here in the last couple of months,” said Shiny Vinayan, a resident and Haritha Sena worker.   

K G Sathyavrathan, councillor, Mekkara ward, said farmland makes up more than half of the area where the people are solely dependent on the Kerala Water Authority( KWA) for their drinking water needs. Residents of agricultural areas are forced to bear the brunt due to disruptions in water supply from the KWA pump house at Choondy in Aluva. “The nearly 130 Scheduled Caste families residing in the area do not have access to any other source for their drinking water needs. Tanker lorries had been used to ferry water during last summer when the issue was severe,” Sathyavrathan said.  

According to Suma U, a resident, two neighbouring households had sourced water from the open well situated on her premises to tide over the acute scarcity. “But the water in the well dries up within a short time during the summer. It  cannot also be used for drinking needs,” she added.  With more houses, institutions and apartments coming up in Mekkara, the demand for availability of drinking water has increased manifold. The pipeline laid by the Kerala Water Authority(KWA) is nearly 30-years-old and this was also highlighted by the residents. 

“The three decade-old pipeline is prone to frequent leaks and this ought to be addressed.  Also, the roads are repeatedly dug up by the KWA on account of this,”  said another resident, who put down the irregular water supply to the frequent power disruptions, especially during rain and high-velocity winds.

673 infected, 1,075 recover

Kochi: The district on Friday reported 673 new Covid cases, 488 of them through local contact. Fifteen health workers were among the new cases. Sources of infection of 167 patients remain unknown. Also, 1,075  people recovered, while 11,379 are under treatment for Covid in the district. Multiple cases were reported from Maradu, Eloor, Edavanakkad, Elamkunnapuzha, Thrikkakara, Edakochi, Tripunithura, Angamaly, Cheranalloor, Edappally, Kalamassery, Koovapady, Kizhakkambalam and Palluruthy.

Demand for water on rise
With more houses, institutions and apartments coming up in Mekkara, demand for availability of drinking water has increased manifold. The pipeline laid by the Kerala Water Authority(KWA) is nearly 30-year-old

COVID TRACKER

Total confirmed cases:  51,590
Patients recovered so far: 40,498
Covid-19 deaths: 163
Persons added to hospital isolation: 264
Discharged from hospital isolation: 304