KOZHIKODE: Despite the partial commissioning of the much awaited Japan-aided drinking water project (JICA), most of the areas in the in the Kozhikode is facing trouble in getting uninterrupted supply.
Kerala Water Authority personnel are burning midnight oil to plug the leaking pipes unable to contain the increased pressure due to water from JICA project.
Contractors under the KWA, who repair the pipelines, are on non-cooperative mode due to delay in payment, compounding problems.
Works could not be carried out in major leak areas. As a result, supply in many parts of the city continues to be erratic and some areas expected to get daily water supply post JICA project commissioning receive water only once or twice in a week.
“We were told that we will be getting daily water supply after the commissioning of JICA project. But we are now getting water only twice a week. Some residents in our area are completely dependent on piped water supply,” M. K. Baburaj, a resident of Chevayur. KWA section engineer Raghuprasad said the problem was due to the non-completion of JICA pipeline works. “We are able to take JICA water only in three of our tanks as JICA reservoirs are yet to get commissioned. Now we are using our existing pipeline to supply JICA water,” he told.
He said the payment issue of the contractors has been settled and the repair works to check the leakage will be carried out from this week.
