The work on ₹1,243-crore Meenachil-Malankara project, the largest drinking water project being implemented by the Kerala Water Authority, is slated to commence here on October 21.
The project, which envisages drawing water from the Malankara dam in Idukki to feed 13 panchayats across the Pala and Poonjar constituencies, is being implemented under the Jal Jeevan Mission. Water Resources Minister Roshy Augustine will inaugurate the project in Pala at a function to be presided over by Cooperation Minister V.N. Vasavan.
The Minister will also announce the establishment of the Malankara-Meenachil Project Division on the occasion.
In terms of expenditure, project components and distribution network, the project is the largest project to be undertaken by the KWA in its history. The ₹700-crore Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) project implemented in Kozhikode district is the biggest project implemented by agency till now.
Comprising a network of a 2,085-km long pipeline network and 154 tanks, the new project envisages providing 42,230 piped water connections covering 24,525 houses across eight panchayats of Pala and 17,705 houses in five panchayats of the Poonjar assembly segments.
As part of it, a floating pump house will be constructed at Mathpara in Muttom village, near the Malankara reservoir, to draw raw water. The water will be routed to water treatment plant with 5 million litre capacity at Niloor in Kadanad through a couple of boosting stations.
The treated water will then be shifted to a huge tank at Poonjar Thekkekara for distribution to the local bodies of Poonjar, Poonjar Thekkekkara, Koottickal, Thalanad, Thidanad and Teekoy. For the remaining panchayats of Kadanad, Ramapuram, Melukavu, Moonnilavu, Bharanaganam, Meenachil and Thalappalam, separate pipelines will be laid.
The project’s beginning marks a significant political victory for the Kerala Congress (M), a constituent of the Left Democratic Front government, especially ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The project, conceived by K.M. Mani over a decade ago, has now been expanded to include a handful of local bodies across the Meenachil and Kanjirappally Taluks.
