A view of the water treatment plant at Nikarumpuram, near Mulakuzha.
| Photo Credit: HANDOUT
The Kerala Water Authority’s (KWA) multi-crore Chengannur comprehensive drinking water project is inching closer to reality.
The construction of a treatment plant with a capacity to treat 35 lakh litres of water a day at Nikarumpuram, near Mulakuzha, has been completed. Besides, two other tanks — an overhead tank with 14 lakh litres capacity and a 14.6-lakh-litre underground tank — have also been set up at Nikarumpuram for the distribution of water. Other works completed include the construction of a transformer room at Kolamukku, 3.08 km water pumping main and installation of two 270 h.p. pumps at Kolamukku.
1.6 lakh people to benefit
The project, which aims at providing drinking water to 1.6 lakh people in the Chengannur municipal area and Ala, Puliyoor, Budhanoor, Pandanad, Mulakuzha, Venmony and Cheriyanad panchayats, is being implemented at ₹199.13 crore. The drinking water scheme is funded under the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB).
Abraham Varghese, executive engineer, KIIFB project implementation unit, said the project was being implemented in four packages and the first package was almost completed.
The water for the scheme will be collected from a well in the Pampa river at Kolamukku. It will then be brought to the treatment plant at Nikarumpuram. The treated water will be pumped to eight overhead tanks in the municipality and panchayats. The water will be distributed through 910-km pipeline networks.
Officials said that water pumped from the river would be treated at the Nikarumpuram plant with the help of modern technology. Particulates from the water would be removed with the help of a plate settler clarifier. After removing solid matter, the water would be purified using lime and alum. It would then be passed through sand filter beds before chlorination, he said.
A lab has also been set up to check water quality during different levels of purification.
