The Water Treatment Plant and associated transmission system built under the Scheme provide for safe and stable piped water to households and institutions
Kozhikode, March 02, 2015: The Kozhikode Water Supply Scheme, which will supply safe and stable piped water to households, businesses and institutions like hospitals & colleges, was dedicated today to the people of Kozhikode district by Hon’ble Chief Minister of Kerala Mr Oommen Chandy. Under the Scheme water will be supplied to Kozhikode city & 16 adjoining Panchayats. JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) has assisted the Scheme which has included construction of Water Treatment Plant, intake well from the dam, reservoirs and water distribution network.
Completion of the Kozhikode Water Treatment Plant (174 million liters per day capacity) has increased the water supply volume to 246 million liters per day (MLD) from 72 MLD in 2006, with construction of new & refurbishment of old water transmission system, building of reservoirs (85 million liters capacity) and reduction of water-leaks. With the inauguration, 12,08,000 people will be served, versus 5,60,000 or 52% of the area-population in 2006.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr Ajit Patil, Managing Director, Kerala Water Authority said, “Providing safe and stable water supply to both urban and rural households and institutions has been the commitment of the Kerala Water Authority, to not only improve the living environment but also facilitate economic activity. JICA’s comprehensive assistance which has included enhancing capacity of Kerala Water Authority for efficient operation & maintenance has been integral to the project’s success.”
Added Mr Koji Sugiyama, Acting Consul-General of Japan in Chennai, “The Japanese government through JICA has been actively supporting economic growth and enhanced living environment in India, through various assistance programs based on long-standing close relations and mutual understanding between the two countries. In fact, a delegation from Japan recently visited Kerala to identify areas of further cooperation such as in waste management, water quality improvement, urban environment management, fisheries and sister-city arrangement, among others.”
In Kerala, the increasing demand for water due to growing population and economic activity has led to an increased dependency on ground water, which is resulting in lowering the groundwater table. Hence, it was needed to develop a reliable water supply system from surface water resources, by constructing water reservoirs and transmission systems.
The Kozhikode Water Supply Scheme is part of JICA assisted Kerala Water Supply Project which comprises Water Supply Schemes to construct, augment and rehabilitate water supply systems in Thiruvananthpuram city region, Kozhikode city region & adjoining villages, Meenad & adjoining villages (Kollam district), Cherthala & adjoining villages (Alappuzha district) and Pattuvam & adjoining villages (Kannur district). Each of the five schemes covers population spread across 200 to 400 sq km. The Kerala Water Supply Project entails construction of over 4,500 km of distribution lines, over mostly hilly & undulating terrain, to bring piped water supply to over 41 lakh people.
The civil works for water distribution network have been completed and commissioned in Cherthala, and the works in Thiruvananthapuram, Meenad & Pattuvam are at various stages of completion. Under the Project, people served from piped water have increased from about 54,000 in 2006 to 5,59,000 in Cherthala, will increase from about 6,98,000 to 8,45,000 in Thiruvananthapuram, will increase from about 70,000 to 4,53,000 in Meenad and will increase from 69,000 to 4,05,000 in Pattuvam in the same period.
JICA’s assistance for the Kerala Water Supply Project includes strengthening of the Executing Agency, Kerala Water Authority (KWA), through IT system development, such as installation of Wide-Area-Network (WAN) across all 186 KWA offices and software packages for asset management & complaint redressal; and through procurement of equipment for maintenance and water leak detection & repair.
JICA has extended JPY 57,501 million (approx Rs 3,000 crore) in ODA (Official Development Assistance) loans since 1997 for the Kerala Water Supply Project.
About JICA
Established as an independent administrative institution, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) aims to contribute to the promotion of international cooperation. JICA works as a bridge between Japan and emerging countries and provides assistance in form of loan, grant and technical cooperation so that the emerging countries can strengthen their capabilities.
JICA India Brochure: http://www.jica.go.jp/india/
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