Weak rains drain city corporation

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It is a huge drain on a weak corporation exchequer with the rain gods not being benevolent to the state.
The cash-strapped civic body is finding it difficult to meet the additional expense it had to spend on drinking water supply even during the monsoon months.

Unlike the previous years, the civic body had to employ more tanker lorries to supply water as many of the areas like West Kochi and Vennala remain parched even during the monsoons.

“This monsoon will be costlier for the corporation as it needs to spend more funds for tanker water supply. Normally, only a few water tankers are pressed into service during the heavy monsoon days. But the sharp fall in rain has necessitated additional water supply,” said sources at the corporation.

Though the local body has no responsibility for supplying water, it spends a huge amount every year, under this head. The city corporation has employed nearly 260 tankers to supply drinking water and the annual cost towards this is around Rs2.5 crore a year.

“Several areas in West Kochi are still reeling under an acute drinking water scarcity. Areas like Aanavathil, Chakkamadam and Gujarati Road are solely dependent on potable water supplied by tankers. In these areas, the lorries supply water thrice a week,” said Syamala Prabhu, councillor of Cheralai.

In Vennala, another area badly hit by water scarcity, five loads of water are being supplied every day. “In areas like Mooletharapadam and Ambedkar Road residents are dependent on tanker water. There is no decrease in the demand for potable water due to weak monsoon rains,” said C.D. Valsala Kumari, councillor of Vennala.

In addition to the water supply, the civic body also bears the expense for anti-mosquito measures, which has significantly increased this season.