Minister rules out steep hike in water charges

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Water Resources Minister P J Joseph informed the Assembly on Wednesday that the government would not effect any steep hike in the water charges. Replying to the discussions on demands for grants for drinking water schemes, sanitation and irrigation works worth Rs. 874 crore, he  hinted at a moderate hike in view of Kerala  Water Authority incurring huge losses owing to  the increase in the cost of power.He said that the tariff of Rs 20 for 5000 litre of water was fixed in 1999. “We have to take a practically viable decision through consensus,’’ he said.He said that six of the 60 municipalities in the state were facing acute shortage of  water. While the per capita availability of water should be made 70 litres per day, this was only 25 litres per day for municipalities of Cherthala, Alappuzha, Guruvayur, Chavakkad, Perinthalmanna and Ottappalam. Other municipalities facing water scarcity are Kanhangad, Neeleswaram, Kottakkal, Kasargod, Chengannur, Koyilandi, Kottayam and Mattannur.He said that discussion would be held with the ADB officials to solve the water scarcity in these municipalities.He said an integrated water supply scheme would be implemented in Kuttanad. A proposal  for Rs. 424 crore has been submitted to Union Minister Jayaram Ramesh in this regard. A water treatment plant at Neerettupuram is getting completed. To help maintain water level in the river basins, 400 check dams will be constructed this year, the Minister said.For making Pampa river free of pollution, a project has already been prepared. On the same line, projects for four rivers, including Bharathapuzha, will be prepared. A sanitation project worth Rs. 29 crore will be implemented at Sabarimala. Another project will be considered for sewerage treatment at Erumeli panchayat, which is a transit point of the Sabarimala pilgrimage, he said. Joseph said that a meeting of the Kuttanad Prospirity Council would be convened on October 20 to consider the demand for piling and concrete bund to protect paddy cultivation.