KWAs bottled water plant: Joseph acts

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Following inordinate delay in the construction of the bottled water plant at Aruvikkara, Water Resources Minister P J Joseph has directed the Kerala Water Authority (KWA) management to take stringent steps against the present contractor and find a new contractor. The decision was taken by the Minister after his visit to the Aruvikkara water treatment plant of the KWA on Tuesday. Shivam Water Treaters Pvt Ltd, Ahmedabad, which had won the contract, has overshot the timeframe. The company was issued notices several times by the KWA. In fact, all the procedures to be followed before terminating the service of the company have been followed by the KWA. It was in June last year that the foundation stone was laid by former Water Resources Minister N K Premachandran. As per the original schedule, the construction of the plant was to be completed last December and the packaged water was to hit the market by January this year.The plant, to be set up at an estimated cost of Rs 3.13 crore, ought to ensure bottling, labelling and packing of the water in a fully automated manner. It was to have a production capacity of 7,500 litres per hour. The initial idea was to bring out 200 ml pouches and bottles ranging from 200 ml to 2 litres. Twenty-litre cans to meet the bulk demand were also planned.  Being an ambitious project of the KWA, the previous government had decided that the product would be priced lesser than the existing brands in the market. But only the foundation work has been completed by the contractor, a KWA official pointed out. KWA Managing Director Asok Kumar Singh, who accompanied the Minister, has been directed to take action against the contractor. The Minister said that similar plants would be launched in other parts of the State as well, covering the demands of Sabarimala and the Railways. After his visit, the Minister also announced that increasing the capacity of Peppara dam would be taken up with the Centre. He also announced that the PSC pipes which frequently burst would be replaced under the JICA project. Besides Kozhikode, the four other schemes of JICA would be commissioned in an year, he said. Joseph also announced that the existing 72-mld plant at Aruvikkara would be rehabilitated, using the funds available under the JICA project and from the State Budget. He also visited the lab at the plant and expressed satisfaction over the water quality.He was accompanied by KWA Technical Member Susan Jacob, Chief Engineer Rajendra Babu and Superintending Engineers K P Krishnakumar and Mohan.