KOCHI: The Maradu Water Treatment Plant project hits yet another roadblock as the upcoming Piravom bypoll is likely to delay the project further. The bypoll is to take place in coming six months.The `201 crore project under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) is already going slow due to opposition from the residents of Piravom. They are against cutting of the roads for laying pipelines.“The Public Works Department (PWD) secretary gave the nod for cutting the road to lay the pipes. However, the executive engineer, under political pressure, is yet to issue an order. The project got a fresh lease of life when late T M Jacob was elected the Piravom MLA. He was willing to give approval, but his untimely demise is big blow to the progress of the project,” said a top JNNURM official.He said with the bypoll around the corner, the state government is not likely to give sanction to road cutting. “This will further delay the project. The progress of the construction of the Treatment Plant at Maradu is also affected by the unavailability of sand for the filter bed. I hope the state government will understand the gravity of the situation and will take necessary steps to solve the issue,” he added.The project aims at drawing water from the Muvattupuzha river at Pazhoorkadavu and pumping it to a tank in Arakkunnam. The water will be then brought to the Maradu treatment plant through the pipelines and the recycled water will be supplied mainly to Maradu, Kumbalam, Kumbalangi, Chellanam, Edakochi, Fort Kochi, Naval Base, Thevara and the Port areas which are reeling under acute potable water shortage.With the local bodies of Piravom opposing the cutting of roads, an alternate route was considered. But the expert committee from the Kerala Water Authority evaluated the route and said that it is not feasible. “We have already submitted the report of the expert committee to the state government. The corporation has already remitted the amount for restoration of the roads after laying the pipes. Now, the government has to decide on issuing the order to cut the road for laying the pipes. We have already requested the works minister to take a favourable decision in this regard soon,” said Tony Chammany, Kochi Mayor.
Comments
0 comment