The budgetary allocation of Rs.545 crore for pipe replacement works in the State comes as a big relief to the Kerala Water Authority (KWA) which has been struggling to replace its vintage primo pipes, which have a history of bursts.
The much anticipated budgetary support, the first of its kind in the State, will help the water utility to take up replacement of pumping and transmission main lines in the city so as to bring down transmission and distribution loss.
Sources in the KWA told The Hindu that the funding would help the immediate requirement to replace the 900-mm primo pipe ferrying water from Peroorkada to Manvila, for which the utility had prepared an estimate of around Rs.70 crore.
Frequent bursts
As frequent bursts had been leading to several hours of water supply disruption, the KWA has long been looking for funding to replace the pipeline, which was laid in 1970s.
The pipeline carries water to Peroorkada, Ambalamukku, Pananvila, Chakkalamukku and Manvila.
The financial assistance would also help in replacing the existing primo pipes ferrying water from Vellayambalam to the Observatory-Peroorkada-Sasthamangalam- Kuravankonam-Pattom-Medical College areas and the Observatory-Pattoor-Chakka-Shanghumughom-Vettucaud areas. “All these lines have outlived their life span and need replacement. Part of the funds could be utilised to replace the pumping and transmission lines in the city,” the official said.
Non-revenue water
The KWA for long had been struggling to bring down the loss due to non-revenue water, mainly caused by leak in lines. The utility supplies 273 million litres of water a day to around 2 lakh consumers in the city. Of the total water supplied, only 140 million litres a day is being accounted for.
The Non-Revenue Water Management Cell, a special wing of the KWA which devises ways to reduce non-revenue water, estimates that as against the national benchmark of 20 per cent non-revenue water of the total water produced, the city’s loss was 40 per cent.
