₹1,348-crore drinking water project in Kozhikode targets March 2027 commissioning

A ₹1,348.3-crore Jal Jeevan Mission project to provide drinking water to 15 grama panchayats in Kozhikode district is progressing, with the authorities aiming to commission it by March 2027.

Officials of the Kerala Water Authority (KWA) said the project could be partially commissioned by December this year, depending on the completion of various components.

The project was initially scheduled to be partially commissioned in March this year. However, delays in the construction of a substation by the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) and in obtaining required clearances from various departments, including the Public Works department for road cutting to lay pipelines and local bodies for land acquisition, forced the KWA to postpone the partial commissioning.

“The construction of the substation is a key component of the project. The delay in completing it has affected the overall progress. We transferred the required funds to the KSEB. Although the work was tendered earlier, there were no bidders initially. The issue now appears to have been resolved. Delays in obtaining clearances from various departments have also created hurdles. We are working to resolve these issues with the support of people’s representatives,” a KWA official said.

As part of the project, the construction of a 100-MLD water treatment plant at Peruvannamuzhi is more than 80% complete.

Once completed, the project will ensure a reliable supply of safe drinking water to around five lakh people in the grama panchayats of Ulliyeri, Moodadi, Kayanna, Atholi, Panangad, Koorachundu, Chengottukavu, Chemancheri, Thikkodi, Arikkulam, Nochad, Keezhariyur, Meppayur, Changaroth, and Koothali. It has been designed to provide 100 litres of water per person per day.

The project will draw water from the Peruvannamuzhi reservoir through a floating intake system. The water will be treated at the 100-MLD plant and then taken to storage tanks in project areas through gravity main pipelines. From there, drinking water will be supplied through distribution pipeline networks to a total of 1,26,918 connections, as envisaged in the project design.

Officials said that water connections had already been provided to all 1,26,918 households. Work on the floating intake and raw water pumping main, both key components of the water treatment plant, is nearing completion. Of the 96 km main distribution pipeline, more than 60 km has been laid. Under the 3,304 km distribution network for supplying water to households, pipelines have already been laid over more than 2,000 km.