With the demand for drinking water steadily going up in the Kochi Corporation and adjoining areas, the Kerala Water Authority (KWA) is actively pursuing the proposal for setting up a 190-million litres per day (MLD) water treatment plant in Aluva.
The revised detailed project report for the plant, which was originally mooted in January 2022, will be submitted to the State government shortly.
The proposed plant is likely to cost ₹504 crore, which will cover the cost of construction, intake work, and laying of raw water and other transmission lines. The cost will also cover the operation and maintenance for 10 years, according to KWA officials.
The project will cater to the drinking water needs of the Kochi Corporation and Aluva, Thrikkakara, Kalamassery, Eloor and Marad municipalities, and Kumbalam, Kumbalanghi, Chellanam, Varapuzha, Cheranalloor, Kadamakkudy, Mulvukad, Elamkunnapuzha, Njarakkal, Nayarambalam, Keezhmad, Edathala and Choornikkara panchayats.
The Kochi Corporation and surrounding areas, which are considered as the fastest developing zones in Kerala, require adequate quantity of high-quality drinking water for their domestic, non-domestic and industrial requirements. They may require 478 MLD of purified drinking water by the end of 2050. Hence the new project, reasoned KWA officials.
The plant has been proposed on the 1.57-hectare holding owned by the Authority in Aluva, which is close to the present water treatment plant complex. Water will be drawn from the Periyar. The 190-MLD capacity plant is required to fill the current shortage of water and future demand of the city and adjoining areas till 2050.
Once approved, the project could be completed within a year. However, the KWA may need financial assistance for constructing the plant. The government would decide on the funding agency for the project, officials said.
