In an effort to address the problem of drinking water shortage inKochi city, theKerala Water Authority(KWA) is planning a mega drinking water project worth more than Rs 750 crore. The government has given sanction for the project being funded by theAsian Development Bank(ADB).

The plan is to replace all the old pipelines, which form part of KWAs water supply Network, with new ones.

As per the preliminary evaluation, pipelines in almost all parts of the city will have to be replaced with new ones. It will take time when doing the work without affecting other utilities and causing minimum inconvenience to the public.

The plan is to divide the entire city into various zones. The water supply to each zone will be limited through a dedicated valve system. This will help in measuring the exact quantity of water being supplied in each zone. This will also help the KWA authorities in identifying the problems like leakage in each area and rectify it.

Meanwhile, KWA couldnt implement a similar project worth Rs 625 crore, which was mooted under the Smart City scheme in 2015-16. The project got the administrative sanction only in 2020. Even then, KWA officials dont know what happened to that project.