Kuruthikkad drinking water project inches closer to reality

The Kuruthikkad drinking water project, which aims to supply potable water to residents in five grama panchayats, is inching closer to reality.

The Kuruthikkad drinking water project, which aims to supply potable water to residents in five grama panchayats, is inching closer to reality.

Originally proposed more than three decades ago, the project faced repeated delays due to various reasons. However, it was revived with the intervention of Mavelikara MLA, M.S. Arunkumar.

Recently, a steel structure overbridge for laying a pipeline across the railway line was installed. The work, which began at 11:30 p.m. on Friday continued until 2 a.m. on Saturday. It was carried out by regulating railway traffic. An inordinate delay in the installation of the structure had been a major obstacle to the project’s implementation.

The ₹43.97 crore project, once commissioned, will provide drinking water to residents of Mavelikara-Thekkekara, Vallikkunnam, Krishnapuram, Bharanikavu and Chennithala-Thripperumthura grama panchayats.

The initial discussions about the project took place during the tenure of former MLA S. Govinda Kurup. In 2008, a water tank with a storage capacity of 8.85 lakh litres was constructed on a piece of land allocated by the Mavelikara-Thekkekara panchayat near Kurathikkad market.

After Mr. Arunkuamar became MLA in 2021, he met Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and urged him to take steps to materialise the project. Following this, the Chief Minister directed officials to obtain the necessary permission from the Railways.

In June 2022, the MLA raised the issue in the State Assembly. Subsequently, Water Resources Minister Roshy Augustine convened a meeting of senior railway officials to expedite the process. On August 5, 2022, an e-tender was invited, in which five contractors participated. However, all the contractors quoted rates that were 10% higher than the Total Probable Amount of Contract (TPAC). Due to the high amounts and site conditions, the tender was cancelled. The estimate was later revised and a re-tender was invited in November.