Address potable water shortage, HC tells Kerala Water Authority

KOCHI: Court would be constrained to pass an order asking Kerala Water Authority (KWA) to provide drinking water in trucks but charge pipe connection rates if the department failed to address drinking water shortage in the city, the Kerala high court warned on Wednesday.
Considering petitions by flat owners from Chilavannoor challenging KWA's neglect in providing drinking water connections, justice S Siri Jagan issued an interim order that stated - the court will be constrained to pass an order to the effect that KWA should provide drinking water in trucks to all persons in need of water at the same rate at which they are giving to owners of water connections.
Neither the counsel for KWA nor the government could instill confidence in the mind of this court with regard to measures taken to give water to Kochi and its suburbs, the court observed on Wednesday.
A Rajasimhan, who appeared for Manthra Home Residents Association, submitted to the court that KWA has complied with the earlier order of the court and has provided water connections.
When KWA's counsel pointed out that the court order regarding providing water in trucks would be difficult to implement, the court warned that if the interim order is not complied with, contempt of court proceedings would be initiated against the officials concerned, adding that it's the headache of the department, and not the court, to provide drinking water.
When the case came up for hearing on February 23, the court had observed that a government that fails to provide drinking water to people is not entitled to rule them.
Stating that Ernakulam has faced drinking water problem for many decades, the court observed that the scarcity is not due to lack of availability of water, as plenty of water is available.
The only thing government has to do is to lay some pipes to get the water from Periyar River to homes after proper treatment, the court noted.