Widespread protests against drinking water shortage in Kochi

Water supply situation is grim at Poonithura, Pettah, Vyttila, Kadavanthara, Thammanam, Vennala, and some areas of the Thrikkakara constituency

The Kochi Corporation area and the neighbouring municipalities witnessed widespread protests on Wednesday against shortage of drinking water supply. Opposition councillors in the Corporation staged an agitation in front of the Kerala Water Authority (KWA) office on Park Avenue Road, demanding restoration of regular water supply.

Uma Thomas, MLA, led protesters demanding normalisation of water supply in Thrikkakara constituency. She led a sit-in at the Vyttila sub-division office of the KWA at Kadavanthra. Ms. Thomas received an assurance from KWA officials that normal supply would be restored at the earliest.

Antony Kureethara, Congress leader in the Corporation council, said Fort Kochi, Mattancherry, and Kadavanthara were the worst affected by shortage of drinking water in the past four weeks. He added that the protest organised in front of the KWA office on Park Avenue Road, with protesters carrying empty water pots on their heads, was meant to draw the attention of the authorities to the plight of the people.

He said there was shortage of around 60 MLD (million litres per day) of water in West Kochi. The authorities had assured supply of drinking water in tankers until the shortage is addressed, he added.

KWA sources said the prime reason for water shortage in the Corporation area and its neighbourhoods was the fault developed by three pumps at Pazhoor. They added that only one of the three pumps was functional now, and that another would be ready for operation on Thursday. The third pump will take a few more days to be operational.

There was only a remote chance that all the three pumps would develop faults at the same time, sources said. However, one of them was quickly repaired, and work was in progress on the other, they added.

The water supply situation is grim at Poonithura, Pettah, Vyttila, Kadavanthara, Thammanam, Vennala, and some areas of the Thrikkakara constituency. At the same time, there is shortage of drinking water in some parts of Maradu municipality too.