The National Cabinet has approved a contract for a proposed Asian Development Bank (ADB)-funded urban water supply improvement project in Kerala.
It also decided to enact administrative sanctions to include Aluva’s 190 million liters per day water treatment plant (MLD) in ADB-funded projects.
The state government had earlier received administrative approval for the ADB assisted 24×7 uninterrupted water supply program for Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi in 2020. The government has approved the project’s expenditure of Rs 25.1 crore submitted by the Kerala Water Supply Authority (KWA) for the project. ADB loans will account for 70% of the total amount (Rs 17,577 crore). The state will join the remaining 30% (Rs 753 crore) as its share.
Later, it was decided to implement the first phase of the project within the city of Kochi. Two works were initially tendered – expression of interest in renovation of drinking water distribution networks and selection of project consultants.
The KWA Trade Union’s combined harvesters opposed the project because they feared that this could eventually lead to the privatization of Kochi’s water distribution system.
The project included 190 MLD water from Periyar and its termination of drinking water scarcity in Kerala in the Kerala urban water supply improvement program funded by Kochi ADB to speed up its implementation.
The 190-MLD project was conceived on 1.57 hectares of kilowatts of land near the agency’s Aluva water treatment plant. The aim is to ensure drinking water supply to the areas under Kochi Company, 5 municipalities nearby and 13 Panchayats. It has been proposed since the existing drinking water supply is insufficient for consumers’ household and commercial requirements.
publishing – May 17, 2025 01:59 AM IST
