The Kochi Corporation’s decision to drop the “unfeasible” Sarovaram project is likely to benefit the city dwellers as the funds earmarked for the project will be utilised for enhancing the water supply.
A portion of the ₹9.33 crore earmarked for the project, which was caught in a series of issues including the violation of the Coastal Regulation Zone rules, would be used for the construction of a 40-lakh-litre-capacity water storage tank at Kaloor. The funds will also be utilised for replacing some of the old water supply pipelines in the city.
The Kerala Water Authority has mooted the water tank construction and re-laying of water supply pipelines. The water supply projects that are implemented in the city under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) will benefit from the dropped project, according to civic authorities.
The LDF-led civic administration decided to drop the project, which was pushed by the previous regime headed by Soumini Jain, as the project landed in trouble. The UDF regime had planned a cycle track and walkway across the Chilavannoor Lake. However, the Kerala Coastal Zone Management Authority declined permission for the project, citing the violation of rules. The Kerala High Court had also ordered that the earthen bund, which was constructed along the lake, should be removed as it was apprehended that the bund would lead to flooding in the area.
According to Mayor M. Anilkumar, the project would require acquisition of land even if the original project, which was conceived during the period of former Kochi Mayor C.M. Mani, was implemented. No funds were available under the AMRUT projects for land acquisition. Hence, the decision to drop the implementation of the project from AMRUT, he said.
The guidelines of the mission insist that the funds from the sector can be utilised only for drinking water projects. The funds that would be saved from the Sarovaram project will be thus utilised for the water supply schemes, he said.