Water supply has been erratic in some parts of the city, with issues in pipelines that have yet to be fixed.
Cherian George, a resident of Kadavanthra, said that there had been no supply since January 15. “We have been relying on water tankers that cost around ₹840 for 2,000 litres. Water would usually be pumped to the area once in two days,” Mr. Cherian said.
Suja Lonappan, councillor representing Kadavanthra, said that she had been receiving complaints from residents around Vinoba Nagar, Bund Road and near the Padam bus stop.
“Pumping of water has not been happening for long enough in the past 20 days. Uninterrupted pumping for around 30 hours will be necessary to get water to all areas in the division,” she said.
A Kerala Water Authority (KWA) official said that work had been done in the first week of January on a large pipeline that carries water pumped from both the Thammanam and Perumanoor pump houses to some parts of Kadavanthra. “The attempt was to increase the supply to these areas. Instead, supply was disrupted. The issue will be identified properly and rectified on Saturday,” he said.
Perennial issue
In Edakochi, water shortage is a perennial issue, said Jeeja Tenson, councillor representing Edakochi North. In the Ittithara and Kannangattu areas, both scarcity and salinity of the little water that is supplied to over a hundred families is a problem, she said.
For over a month now, residents have been relying on tankers since saline water is supplied through the pipes, said Rixon, a resident of Kannangattu. K.K. Raju, another resident who lives in one of the bylanes, said that large vehicles like water tankers cannot enter the small lanes in the area, and residents would have to walk some distance to get their supply of water for a day or two.
The problem worsens when nobody is at home to collect water when the tanker arrives, said Ms. Tenson.
A KWA official in the area said that around one thousand new connections are added in the Edakochi area every year and the supply, from the pump houses at Maradu and Perumanoor, have not been sufficient to meet the demand. “If residents use a motor, a leak in the pipe can bring saline water into it,” he added.
