Kuruthikkad drinking water project advances in Kerala

The Kuruthikkad drinking water project is making progress to provide clean water to residents in five local panchayats. This project has been talked about for over thirty years but has faced many delays. However, recently, Mavelikara MLA M.S. Arunkumar helped revive it. A significant step was taken when a steel overbridge was installed for laying pipelines across a railway line. This work occurred late Friday night and lasted until early Saturday morning, while railway traffic was regulated to allow the installation. Delays in this part had held up the project for a long time. The project will cost ₹43.97 crore and will supply drinking water to residents in the Mavelikara-Thekkekara, Vallikkunnam, Krishnapuram, Bharanikavu, and Chennithala-Thripperumthura panchayats. Initial discussions about the water supply began during former MLA S. Govinda Kurup's term. In 2008, a water tank was built near Kurathikkad market, capable of holding 8.85 lakh litres of water. After Arunkumar took office in 2021, he urged Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to push for the project's implementation. As a result, officials were instructed to secure the necessary railway permissions. The issue was raised in the State Assembly in June 2022. A meeting with railway officials followed to speed up the process. In August 2022, an e-tender was published, but all bids came in over budget, leading to the cancellation of the tender. It was revised and re-tendered in November, with the bids opening in December 2022. By February 2023, the contract was finalized, and the Kerala Water Authority received the go-ahead from the Railways for the installation.