Drinking water shortage in capital: Crisis Management Team meets for just 20 minutes, no precautions suggested

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a brief 20-minute meeting, the Kerala Water Authority's Crisis Management Team approved a change in pipeline alignment that had disrupted drinking water supply in the capital city for five consecutive days. The proposal, submitted by the Water Authority's South PH Division, was accepted without any discussion, despite the issue affecting 44 wards.

The disruption, which could have been avoided by merely shutting off the water supply during the connection of the new pipeline, was exacerbated by the premature closure of the valve at the Aruvikkara plant. This stoppage was authorized before work on the pipeline even commenced. The meeting, chaired by Chief Engineer Narayanan Namboothiri, took place on August 30 and lasted from 3:25 pm to 3:45 pm.

The pipeline realignment was part of the preparations for the doubling of the railway line, with 26 hours allotted for the work at Karamana CIT Road and Shastri Nagar. The tasks included shifting 40 meters of a 700-mm DL transmission pipe towards Airanimuttam and altering the alignment of a 500-mm DL pipe near Nemam.

An internal investigation by the Water Authority revealed significant procedural failures at the official level. The investigation report noted that the impact of cutting off drinking water to nearly 5 lakh residents was not properly considered. Additionally, there was no supervision from senior officials, and water pumping was halted prematurely, before the actual work began. The report also highlighted the failure of the Corporation to request alternative drinking water supplies for affected areas.

Inquiry underway

Technical Member of the Water Authority, S. Sethukumar, has been tasked with submitting a detailed report on the lapses. This directive was issued by Additional Chief Secretary Bishwanath Sinha during a review meeting with officials. The inquiry report will be presented at a high-level meeting scheduled for tomorrow.

The review meeting also recommended the creation of a general maintenance guideline, emphasizing the need to notify beneficiaries via SMS before any interruptions to the water supply.