If things pan out, the new 75-million litres per day (mld) water treatment plant at Aruvikkara, billed as the solution to the capital city’s drinking water issues, should be ready for commissioning by the end of this month.
The Kerala Water Authority (KWA) on Saturday launched the first of two inter-connection works linking the new plant to pipelines carrying water from the existing water treatment plants to the capital city. This forms part of the final-phase work on the plant.
Construction of the plant has been completed, except for power connection which has to be provided by the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB), a senior KWA official said. The government-run water utility hopes to commission the project by December-end, the official said.
The water treated at the new facility will be transmitted to the city through existing transmission mains
On Saturday, the KWA carried out interconnection works for linking the new plant to the pipeline carrying water from the existing 74 mld plant at Aruvikkara to Thirumala in the city. The 74 mld plant was temporarily shut down for the work. Similarly, the second interconnection work would link the new plant to the pipeline carrying water from the 86 mld plant at Aruvikkara to Peroorkada.
This work would be taken up in the coming weeks, according to KWA officials.
The shutdown of the 74-mld plants had disrupted water supply to many city areas. Pumping from the 74-mld plant was expected to be restarted by Saturday night.
Constructed at a cost of ₹56.29 crore, the new 75-mld plant at Aruvikkara, once commissioned, would complement the existing 72-mld, 86-mld and the 74-mld water treatment facilities in Aruvikkara. Built by Chicago Constructions International Pvt Ltd, the plant is funded under the Centrally sponsored Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) for improving the water supply in Thiruvananthapuram city.
The plant was originally scheduled for commissioning in March this year, but the COVID-19 outbreak and the consequent lockdown had delayed the works. The 75-mld plant, along with the proposed 120-mld Neyyar water supply project is expected to provide a lasting solution to the water scarcity problems of the capital city.
