Kerala govt approves Rs 523 crore for 190 MLD Aluva water plant

The Kerala government has granted administrative approval for a Rs 523-crore project to construct a new 190 MLD (million litres per day) water treatment plant at Aluva, a major initiative aimed at addressing the growing drinking water needs of Kochi and its surrounding urban centres.

According to a statement issued by the chief minister’s office (CMO), the Water Resources Department has cleared the project, which will be implemented under the Kerala Urban Water Supply Improvement Project with financial assistance from the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

Once completed, the new treatment plant is expected to significantly strengthen the region’s water supply infrastructure by ensuring an uninterrupted supply of drinking water to residents of the Kochi Corporation, besides the neighbouring municipalities of Aluva, Elur, Thrikkakara, Kalamassery and Maradu. The project will also benefit 13 grama panchayats in the surrounding areas.

The proposed facility will be built on 1.57 hectares of land adjacent to the existing water treatment plant in Aluva. Officials expect the project to be completed within 15 months from the commencement of construction.

The CMO noted that the project had been a long-standing demand, with chief minister V.D. Satheesan repeatedly raising the issue in the state assembly during his tenure as the Leader of the Opposition.

The government said the approval marks a significant step towards modernising Kerala's urban water infrastructure and ensuring a reliable drinking water supply for one of the state's fastest-growing metropolitan regions.

With PTI inputs