Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Pipeline repairs still on

Thiruvananthapuram: Efforts to repair the damaged section of the cast-iron pipeline carrying water from the Aruvikkara reservoir to the city continued on Sunday.

Additional District Magistrate V. Sivarajan Nair; Revenue Divisional Officer K. Ramachandran; Managing Director of the Kerala Water Authority (KWA) C. Suresh Babu; senior officials; and technical experts were camping at the worksite to supervise the repairs.

The KWA said it had made arrangements to supply water in tanker lorries in areas affected by the disruption in water supply. A spokesman for the authority said it had acted on 150 complaints received at the grievance redress cell.

District Collector Sanjay Kaul told The Hindu that 35 tanker lorries, including 14 belonging to the Revenue Department, six from the City Corporation and five each from the KWA and the Army, had been deployed all over the city to distribute water to the affected areas. “Together, these vehicles supplied water in over 300 locations. Hospitals were the priority targets for distribution,” he said.

The KWA said it had made special arrangements in view of the school reopening on Monday.

Schools requiring water supply in tankers had been asked to call the authority on ph: 9447 797676 or 9388 356148.

The Collector said the district administration was keeping a close tab on the situation. “The repair work is expected to be over by midnight,” he said. Officials were preparing to review the progress of the work late on Sunday night.

The District Congress Committee (DCC), which met here on Sunday, expressed strong protest against the failure to ensure adequate supply of drinking water following the week-long disruption in piped water supply from the Aruvikkara reservoir. The meeting said neither the State government nor the City Corporation had taken steps to provide water to the parched areas. “There is no indication so far from the authorities about when the supply would be restored,” DCC president V.S. Sivakumar said.

The committee urged the government for alternative arrangements to supply water in the affected areas.

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